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It’s the ever so spunky Renault Megane. With a price tag of about US$40 000 plus the relevant duties and taxes this is one of the coolest sedan turned hatchbacks on the market right now. With power and torque output sitting at 81kW/240Nm, what more could you ask for? The claimed fuel economy of 4,5 l/100km you are literally driving for free.
With the current-generation Megane, Renault has pulled the pricing, specifications, and — crucially — the style of its small hatchback into a less-polarising middle ground.
Having shed the bustle-bum looks of its predecessor, it’s no longer long and boring. There’s a nice swoopy style to its lines, in fact. And, always more than a half-reasonable steer, the new Megane can also eyeball its competitors in the segment for substance.
When we talk of quality, it’s a case of hits and misses inside the Megane. The dashboard has a high-quality look and feel, with modern switchgear and a good feel to the controls. The plastic on the centre console however is a grade or two lower.
The car also had a poorly stitched rear seat, with mismatched seams in the leather trim and the beginnings of a split on the top corner of the seatback. A creaky door grip on the driver’s door also raises questions about the solidity of the build.
On comfort: With generously-proportioned front seats and lots of seat travel, the Megane is relatively easy to get comfortable in. Over longer distances the seats start to feel a little flat however. The padding is fine but more lumbar support is needed.
Rear seat travellers will be happy with the generous headroom, clear views out of the large rear windows and rear air-vents (a rarity in this class of car). But a shortage of leg and foot-room means the back seat will lose its shine if your kids are approaching their teens.
Renault packs the Megane Privilege with ‘smart card’ keyless entry and starting with auto locking as you walk away. Leather trim comes as standard, dual-zone climate control, heated power-folding mirrors, 17-inch alloy wheels, sunroof, bluetooth with audio streaming, fog-lamps and rear parking-sensors.
There’s also a trip computer, cruise control with speed limiter, steering column audio control wand, satellite navigation with remote control and a four-speaker CD/MP3 audio system with UBS and Aux inputs and 3D sound by Arkamys.
Behind the rear seats there’s a roomy 360 litres of space, but a high loading-lip makes loading and unloading a chore — certainly no fun to try and lift a pram into. There is enough storage space for an average driver.
Extra space is available by dropping the split-folding rear backrest, but liberating that space is also a bit of a chore. To fold the rear seats flat, the front seats must first be pushed forward, the rear seat bases pulled up and and the backrest folded with the headrests down (or removed).
In a massive design oversight, the centre console fouls the seatback so there’s no hope of anything resembling a flat floor.
Like Peugeot, Renault persists in filling the glove box with a relay box, so you can hold the owners manual, and if you’re lucky, another owner’s manual but that’s about all.
The cup holders won’t accept most bottles or coffee cups and the door pockets are trim, which is really frustrating if you ask me.
With a capacity of just 1,5 litres the Megane diesel offers one of the smallest diesel engines in its class, but its power-per-litre puts it into the middle of the pack. At highway speeds, with the engine ticking over in the meat of its torque band, hills and overtaking pose no problem for the turbo-diesel dCi Megane. So this makes it ideal for long distance driving on open road. And it matches its ability to stretch its legs with impressive fuel economy.
From start up, the Megane diesel clatters and groans like a light commercial diesel. Accelerating around town there’s no way you’d forget you were piloting a compression ignition engine — noise and vibration are constant companions.
At highway velocities however the Megane manages to ‘outrun’ its own engine noise, but tyre noise takes its place.
With 280mm ventilated front rotors and 260mm solid rears, the Megane’s braking hardware provides a progressive and strong braking feel.
The Megane’s safety suite includes electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with emergency brake assist, six airbags (dual front, side and curtain bags), load-limiting front seatbelt pretensioners with adjustable height. And all three rear seats feature adjustable headrests and three-point seatbelts.
Renault has pushed hard for mainstream acceptance with the new Megane. For both aesthetics and build-quality, it’s a vastly improved car over its predecessor.
That impressive warranty is also another feather in the Megane dCi’s cap, and offers genuine peace of mind for buyers on a budget.
So if you have US$40 000 plus and you are a sucker for hatchbacks, this might be ideal. The unfortunate bit is there is no distributor for Renault in Zimbabwe with this stock so you will have to go down to South Africa to buy one. Till next week stay blessed and enjoy.
Fact D. Jeke is a motoring enthusiast who has attended auto shows, rallies and has written for various publications in the region for the last decade. She can be contacted via email on [email protected] or torque with Fact Jeke on Facebook.
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