Just by looking at the monthly sales figures, we can see that manufacturers are struggling, and none more so than the smaller brands, in particular the French and Italians. Despite this, Renault has remained in the game with an onslaught of new and impressive vehicles. The latest being the all-new Megane, which incorporates four key elements. I got to drive it to see just how these elements complement each other.
Design:
If you stand back and look at a car, it is sometimes easy to see where it was designed. Audi's for example look as though they have been designed in a laboratory, using all sorts of i-Robot like machines.
The new Megane though looks as if it was designed in a quaint little street side coffee shop, you know, the sort that ban Wi-Fi and only sell homemade muffins. Now this is not a bad thing because from the moment that I saw it, I liked it.
It is neatly proportioned and well-balanced, its volume seems to be drawn from a single line with generous and contoured shoulders reinforcing a perception of quality and sportiness. It is however the front end I like the most, mainly because I do fancy those new C-shaped lighting features which incorporate LED technology.
At the rear, the lighting sceptical continues with neat LED tail lights nearly spanning the entire length of the rear boot lid. It’s as if one can see the brush strokes made by the designer when he drew the car. It most definitely has a sense of French flair to it.
Quality:
Inside, I got a sense that everything has been nicely made and thought out. Designers paid attention to the quality of materials used and the layout is neat. Things that grabbed my attention was the ambient lighting, the racing bucket seats and the seven-inch TFT instrument cluster display which both add a sense of pizazz.
As for space, well the new Megane is larger than before which means interior space has been improved, especially for rear passengers. Boot space is also larger than on the Ford Focus, Opel Astra and the Volkswagen Golf.
Techno cockpit:
The Megane makes use of a centre dash mounted tablet like touch screen which incorporates Renault’s R-LINK 2 system, TomTom navigation and other infotainment functions. On the higher spec GT and GT-Line models, the screen is 8.7-inches while on the entry level Dynamique model, it is seven-inches.
All radio and climate functionality can be controlled via the screen, which has helped to unclutter the dashboard. I am slightly disappointed with the design of the centre stack, it looks as if belongs in a 2004 Jeep Cherokee. I would have liked to see some piano-key black detailing to accompany the other stylish aspects found throughout the interior.
Drive:
The Megane is being offered with a choice of three engines; a naturally aspirated 1.6 with 84 kW / 156 Nm mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, and 1.2-litre turbo with 97 kW / 205 Nm with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch EDC.
Sitting at the top of the range, the GT uses a feisty 1.6-litre turbo with 151 kW / 280 N, harnessed via a seven-speed EDC. In addition, the GT also benefits from 4Control, that’s Renault speak for rear-wheel steering... something that makes city driving a breeze. It does however make the rear end feel disjointed, a feeling that is somewhat unusual.
I also managed to thrash the car around Red Star raceway which gave me a chance to test out the launch control and its handling characteristics. It’s not track honed racer but it offers a decent amount of go, I’m just not completely sold on the feeling of the 4Control yet.
Verdict and pricing
After a quick drive on some back roads, I found the Megane to be a huge improvement on the model that it replaces. It no longer looks boring, it looks really good in my opinion and it’s jammed with technology.
The different driving modes, known as Multi-Sense, gives drivers the ability to alter the vehicle's set up. Comfort and Eco mode work well for everyday driving and Sport is to satisfy those urges. As always there are different models available with different trim lines, all adding more comfort and safety features as you move up the list.
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICING:
Mégane 1.6 Dynamique (85kW) : R279 900
Mégane 1.2 TCe (97kW) Manual: R339 900
Megane 1.2 TCe (97 kW) EDC: R354 900
Mégane 1.6 TCe GT (151 kW) : R449 900
