Road Test: Renault Megane Hatch 1.6 dCi

Ray Leathern is happy Renault persisted with the latest Megane hatchback. The new 1.6-litre dCi engine can’t help but sway the game in Renault’s direction with its frugal manner.

If all cars were alcoholic beverages, a Zonda would be pure Absinthe. The Toyota Hilux would be Castle in a can, any Volvo would definitely be an Irish coffee or a sherry, and the Renault Megane would undoubtedly be an alco-pop. Yes, those colourfully packaged sugar-spiced, girls-drinks that come with vodka and taste nothing like alcohol, but still get 18-year olds tipsy by the boatload.

I had an ex-girlfriend who had an old Renault Megane and I know because I saw it happen first hand, but most of my relationship with her involved watching her rouge-Renault, ramping curbs and dinging bumpers in bouts of brave, but very misguided parking. Clearly most of this was quantifiable because I was watching the machinations of a small twenty year old piloting a big Renault.

You see, she’d been given it by her mother. A woman herself, who was well skilled in starting conversations with complete strangers by referencing her own embarrassing eczema or other bodily ailments of the moment. Sadly, this seems to be the Renault client base. It appears all Renault drivers somehow just end up with their Renaults.

What is it about people who don’t care about cars that sees them ending up in a Renault? Why is it that the universe chooses such a car for these people? An obvious reason must be that many people are far more concerned about a vehicle’s interior, value for money, comfort and colour, rather than performance and specification.

If this is the case, you can understand the ‘impulse buy’ inclination when people do stumble upon a car that’s within budget, has the necessary accompaniments they want and if the deal feels like a good one, consider it sold. Renaults often have their low pricing on their side. How does the new, ultra-frugal 1.6-litre dCi Renault Megane stack up to this sort of buyer? Well its funky styling and forecourt appeal has definitely been enhanced by the improved exterior detailing.

The car as a whole is far more conventional looking than the old, big-bottomed Megane, but Renault obviously feel it needs to be to take on the likes of the mighty Volkswagen Golf. Personally, I think it’s too bland. It’s yet another car from the French automaker that doesn’t put a wry grin on your face, like French cars should.

On the inside, you soon realise this Megane is better built and a little more quiet somehow, which comes as no surprise from the French automaker really. It is spacious on the inside too and the Megane feels much more grown up than ever, but I still wouldn’t call it comfortably. The seats and the dash don’t meet nicely for an intuitive driver / car interface.

Of course that should be inconsequential to potential buyers who aren’t interested in driving. This particular model is the 1.6-litre dCi ‘Dynamique’ Hatchback (the diesel is not offered as a coupe, sadly). I’ve driven Renaults in the U.K. and Europe and what I do like about this model is that it feels the closest vehicle offered in South Africa that is typical of the Meganes you’ll find in France.

It’s kind of what the French do well automotively-speaking, and the new 1.6-litre dCi turbo-diesel engine replaces the larger displacement 1.9-litre dCi used in the outgoing model for even better economy. The Megane boasts a Stop & Start function with braking / deceleration energy recovery and improved engine thermal management.

The 1.6-litre dCi still sports a substantial 96 kW power output and 320 Nm of torque. It therefore performs almost identically to the 1.4TCe petrol engine, by accelerating to 100 km/h from zero in 9.8 seconds. More specifically, the 1.6-litre dCi Energy consumes just 4.0 L/100 km travelled on the combined cycle.

That makes it 20% more economical than the 1.9-litre dCi and offers CO2 emissions of just 104 g/km. Over my period testing the vehicle I can corroborate the accuracy of that 4.0 L/100 km figure. I averaged exactly that in a mix of urban and extra urban driving. So the diesel Megane actually has quite a lot to shout about when you start thumbing through the spec sheet.

Driving-wise, surprisingly, this Megane really has nothing out of the ordinary to complain about either. The 6-speed manual gearbox has long throws and an initially sloppy response, however, after some time with it you begin to appreciate the relaxed rhythm required to stir it effectively.

The Megane has its merits individually, particularly when you consider the very good ride comfort, however, when all three sloppy characteristics (steering, gearbox, soft ride) are put together, anyone wanting an engaging drive will probably go looking for it elsewhere. This is a shame though, because the Megane does actually drive really well. You just need to work through the aloofness and softness.

Once you develop a rhythm with the car, the Megane is actually nothing like the bland, conventional hatchback you think it feels initially. It has an accomplished chassis, good grip and you can almost infer the talent that the RenaultSport engineers were able to ladle it with, in sportier iterations of the Megane.

So you see what I mean about it being like an alco-pop? Compared to Castle it isn’t very popular at the liquor store; the initial taste is a bit sickly on the tongue. Being seen drinking an alco-pop isn’t going to do wonders for your public image either, but if you persist with them you’ll still get drunk and have a great night out. The 1.6-litre dCi ‘Energy Dynamique’ Hatchback is the best, non-RenaultSport Megane you can buy for yourself or your daughter, but we’d still understand if you went out and bought a Volkswagen Golf instead.

What we like…

• New exterior trim.
• World beating economy from the 1.6 dCi.
• Fun chassis once you learn to speak its language.

What we would like…

• Slightly better price advantage over the equivalent Volkswagen Golf.
• Improved ergonomics.

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