Buying a used Renault Megane GT (2013-2020)

Short history of the Renault Megane

The Renault Megane emerged overseas in the mid-1990s but was only a niche proposition in Australia when it landed in 2001 – initially only as a convertible – and that remained the case when the hatchback arrived in late-2003 in second-generation guise, not helped by the controversial ‘big bum’ styling.

A sedan turned up a few months later, while in September 2004 the range was bolstered by a hot hatch known as the Renault Sport (RS) Megane 225. Mid-2006 brought a Phase II facelift, but it took until the third-generation Megane – launched in November 2010, alongside the sedan that was renamed Fluence – for things to finally turn around for the French small car.

The GT nameplate turned up with the Megane GT 220 in July 2013, offering sporty but not stove-hot performance – and in a wagon body style, too. It was powered by a detuned 162kW/340Nm version of the three-door Megane RS 265 coupe’s F4R 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, matched with a six-speed manual.

The GT 220 was joined by the less-potent GT-Line that was applied to the regular petrol and diesel powertrains, designed to bridge the gap between base Expression and flagship Privilege model grades.

Minor facelifts and technical changes followed at regular intervals, followed late in 2016 by the introduction of the fourth-generation Megane, which also heralded the return of the sedan.

For the Megane GT, this brought a wider, lower car with an extended track and altered suspension to improve upon already excellent handling.

Another move intended to sharpen response was the 4CONTROL four-wheel steering system, which operated whenever Sport driving mode was activated.

A facelift in 2020 brought further minor revisions. In addition to conventional versions, the range included an E-Tech plug-in hybrid with two electric motors delivering a total output of 118kW.

• High oil consumption in 1.2-litre turbo engines – beware any kind of exhaust smoke
• Slip or shudder from the CVT transmission where employed
• Difficulty starting a diesel due to faulty seals affecting fuel pressure

The entry level for mid-2013 Renault Megane GT-Line buyers was the 103kW 2.0-litre petrol hatch with CVT.

Priced at $26,490 plus on-road costs, the entry GT-Line included climate-control air-conditioning, heated/folding exterior mirrors, four-wheel disc brakes, alloy wheels and an eight-speaker entertainment system.

Fitting a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine cost $2500 extra but didn’t deliver huge savings in fuel consumption over the frugal petrol version. This likely explains why less than 15 per cent of GT-Line cars in the used market are diesels.

GT-Line wagons began at $27,990 plus ORCs, with diesels also $2500 extra. Early models can be hard to find but worth the look if you want space in a sporty package.

Don’t buy one if you’re the owner of a biggish boat, though, because the tow limit for a braked trailer is just 1300kg.

Spending $6500 above the price of a turbo-diesel bought access to the seriously hot GT 220, which came initially as a wagon with 162kW and six-speed manual transmission.

Equipment included faux leather seat trim but real hide on the wheel and gear selector, rain-sensing wipers and 18-inch alloy wheels.

A five-door hatch followed, and despite being priced at $36,990 ($4500 less than a Golf GTi with the same 162kW) it was hugely underrated as a ‘hot hatch’ and remains a used market bargain. If you can find one.

Mid-2014 brought expansion of the local Megane model range and major revisions under the bonnet.

The 2.0-litre engine was out, a 1.2 with a turbocharger and 97kW in. Torque from the 1.2 increased by 10Nm to 105Nm and arrived at a useful 2000rpm, but acceleration was marginally slower.

Economy from the 1.2-litre GT was claimed to be a remarkable 5.6L/100km though, and only beaten by the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel which continued unchanged and maintained its 4.5L/100km average.

MY15 GT hatchbacks and wagons held firm on pricing, but above them (and arguably better value) was a new GT-Line Premium <<< /renault-megane-gt-2014-review-40873/ >>>. It began in hatch form at $30,990, with the wagon $2000 more, and featured real leather seats with heaters, lane departure warning, automatic headlights, a dual sunroof and carbon-effect dash trim.

Late in 2014 and at a hefty $43,990 plus ORCs came the overweight and fleetingly available GT-Line convertible. With extra body stiffening and the equipment needed to control its folding glass roof, the open-top Megane weighed 1631kg but used the same 103kW engine as lighter hatch versions.

For 2017, Renault went on a value-adding offensive, leaving its new Zen model to take on the entry-level role and moving the GT-Line above $30,000. The trimmed range began with a $31,990 hatch or $33,490 wagon that featured Alcantra (suede) seats with colour-keyed bolsters. Dominating the dash was a new multimedia screen with every function you could want – except Apple CarPlay.

Further rationalisation saw the 2.0-litre turbo downsized to 1.6 and power cut by 11kW to 151kW. No longer classified as a 220 GT, the new 1.6-litre range-topper looked to be outstanding value, with improved levels of driver assistance and pricing that began at $38,990.

Well-equipped it may have been, but Renault still managed to charge $1990 for a larger 8.7-inch touch-screen (Imperial measurements in a French car?) and Bose sound system.

No CVT for this sizzler either. Instead, there was a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that seemingly was configured to deliver economy ahead of performance; 0-100km/h took a tick over eight seconds but fuel consumption was still claimed to average 6L/100km.

Look back into automotive history and if manufacturers wanted to make a drab model more interesting they would add features, body embellishment and a GT/GT-Line badge.

Renault, with its enlivened versions of the Megane, followed that well-trodden path.

Early 2.0-litre cars, the 97kW 1.2-litre and 81kW turbo-diesel, aren’t going to win any drag race ribbons, so the GT-Line Megane’s coefficient of fun needed to spring from somewhere other than the engine compartment.

‘Spring’ was the operative word because people who earned their crusts making sporty Renaults handle like tarmac rally stars worked some magic on the suspension settings. Early ones were even deemed a bit too taut, but that criticism was negated in later ones by inconspicuous but effective tweaking.

The Megane GT 220 had unique tuning for its electric-assist power steering, which defies the doomsayers who dislike this type of system. The steering wheel is perfect in size and shape and the ratio fast enough to ensure that tight turns required just a tweak of the leather-rimmed tiller.

Should that not offer sufficient fun for your needs, try hunting down an early GT 220 with its outstanding manual gearbox.

Most GT-Line cars do come with CVT, which does its best to be interesting but can falter when the throttle is floored. The best technique, apparently, is light pressure to awaken the CVT’s innards before asking too much of the tranny.

Cars with the 1.2-litre engine lack the gubbins of a genuine hot hatch, but still handle and stop with great confidence. Plenty to look at here as well, with stylish alloys and chunky rubber, the low-set stance, rear diffuser and hooded rear window.

Versatility will be important to those who need space and spend extra on the wagon version. Here, the one we like is a late-series 1.6-litre turbo which will hit 100km/h from rest in 7.4 seconds and still manage better than 8L/100km around town. It does require premium 95 RON fuel, though.

Attention to occupant protection was a feature of Megane design, even in 2011. Back then, when testing a basic diesel, Euro NCAP scored the model 35.83/37 and awarded a five-star rating which carried through to cars sold to Australia.

If ‘family car’ in your lexicon equates to ‘boring car’ then a Renault Megane might not suit your needs.

They are sporty by design and early ones with their noticeably taut suspension can be jiggly when taken off mainstream bitumen.

The rear seat is said to be very comfortable for two occupants, but anyone scoring the middle perch won’t be as happy. Seats up, the wagon boot takes almost 600 litres and 1600 with the rear seat folded.

• CVT transmissions can be sluggish when responding to the throttle but should not take more than a second when selecting reverse. Nor should they shudder.
• Diesels can be hard to start due to seals in the fuel delivery system failing and affecting pressure.
• Those considering a convertible need to watch the roof being raised and lowered, looking for shuddering or any distortion as the panels move.
• Meganes weren’t subject to many recalls but one with potentially serious consequences involved 580 cars built from 2018-19. These were susceptible to oil pump solenoid failure which affected the power steering and could also destroy an engine if not detected. Check with a Renault dealer if a car you are considering has recalls needing attention.

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Used vehicle grading for Renault Megane GT/GT-Line (2013-20)
Design & Function: 14/20
Safety: 16/20
Practicality: 12/20
Value for Money: 13/20
Wow Factor: 13/20
Score: 68/100

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