Road Test: Renault Mégane 1.9 dCi

Remember the provocative Mégane that was famous for shaking its ass? Well, it’s become more demure and circumspect. Mégane has become a fine Parisian woman, sporting some desirable haute couture. It’s, well, more grown up and sophisticated, even.

The whole range features sleek and elegant styling and, with prices in the range starting from R205 000, it will not disappoint family motorists downsizing from a bigger car. The new Mégane hatch is a complete renewal for Renault in a market slot where sport and passion are considered to be inherent design features. The Mégane still has to compete with some very strong competition in the form of the Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Volkswagen Golf as well as the Peugeot 308, Citroen C4 and Mazda3. So, even with its new-found elegance, the latest Mégane is still going to find the competition pretty fierce.

In other markets, there are three trim levels for the new Mégane: The best-selling Dynamique and the Expression and Privilege, but it’s only the Dynamique that has made it to South African shores. The level of equipment on the car immediately challenges your perceptions of Renaults’ positioning in the market. Forget cheap and cheerful. This car oozes confidence and flair. Apart from the de rigueur air conditioning, loads of safety equipment, new-generation variable power-assisted steering, electrically-operated windows and heated electrically-adjustable door mirrors, it comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, upgraded sound system with Bluetooth, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, cruise control, leather-trimmed steering wheel and front fog lights.

Active and passive safety systems for all models include as standard, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) with ASR (Anti-Skid Regulation) and CSV under steer control, ABS and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) and the Hatch has, in addition, a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

‘My’ Mégane was fitted with the new 1.9 dCi turbodiesel unit, which meets the Renault ‘eco2’ environmental standards for performance and manufacturing, with CO2 emissions at 134g/km.

Renault claim that their new Mégane heralds in a new age of higher quality, better specification and driveability. On the basis of my seven days with the car, this all feels very plausible. This looks a classy motor car, both inside and out. It has created a design language that manages to distill its Gallic charm, without being either too quirky or mundane. It’s not just another family-sized five-door hatch.
The bold styling lines and lower roofline with a rising waistline combine to give this five-door a ‘coupe-esque’ side profile. The ‘shaking’ rear end has gone and is now more rounded and less radical. I believe the Renault corporate face is lacking confidence a little and we will see a more evocative style developing on the future production models as revealed by the Renault Captur concept car.

Inside the car is a great place to be. Quality materials and great ergonomics create the impression of a big improvement — it just feels and looks and even smells like a better product. It is not all completely perfect, but it is definitely easy to live with. Good quality materials are used throughout; the equipment levels are higher and the part-digital, part-analogue dials work neatly together. Although the centre console controls are a bit fussy and one would need time to get used to them. Both the seat and steering column are height and reach adjustable. Once settled, the driving position was excellent.

Rear passengers are not quite so lucky. They will find themselves a bit cramped and the headroom is not as good as on the previous Mégane Hatch. Neither is the boot space (372- expandable to 1 129-litres); the split-folding rear seats will not fold down if the front seats are in their rearmost position. The low roofline and slanting tailgate restricts rear visibility. Imagine being in a post-box and peering out through the slit to the outside world and you have the picture.

The new model’s ride comfort is first class and the suspension soaks up the imperfections in our roads. The handling is also first class for a family car of this size, even though the ride is a little skittish, I can live with that. It does not trouble the Mégane’s very good roadholding capabilities.

The new 1.9-litre engine is also impressive, if not overwhelming. With 96 kW on tap and a more notable torque of 300 Nm at a useful 1 750 r/min, it is the ‘pulling’ power from really low speeds that impresses. Renault has put a lot of effort into the design of the newly designed turbocharger. The turbine blades spool up from low speeds more quickly to boost power. This results in its lively mid-range responsiveness and the 5.1 litres/100km fuel consumption. This exemplary technical package is complimented by a six-speed manual ‘box with all the right gear ratios that ensures just about perfect, effortless driving and rewarding performance with good real-life fuel economy.

If this sounds like unconditional praise, it’s not. There will still be issues with residual values and there’s the compromised rear head and leg room and restricted rear visibility due to tailgate window design. Overall though, the car is a vast improvement in quality and drivability over the previous ‘derriere shaking’ model. It’s a car I could live with for a decent length of time.

As you will expect with a Renault, it gave a solid performance in Euro NCAP tests. Its green credentials are pretty strong too, especially in economical diesel guise. It’s well worth a look if you are considering an effortless family hatch with some flair. You may even negotiate a bargain too!

What we like…

• Properly thought out ergonomics and quality workmanship.
• Decent ride and handling and its ‘chuckabilty’.
• Torque. Without the torque-steer.

What we would like…

• To experience an improved Renault dealer service network.
• An easier to operate SatNav system.
• The 130 kW version. Please?

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