Peugeot 308 GT v Renault Megane GT 2015 Review

A growing number of Aussie drivers have come to appreciate diesel hatches for their effortless performance, but even fans admit diesel hatches are far from sporty. Peugeot's 308 GT might change those views however, provided buyers accept the asking price. Renault's Megane offers a similar package at a palatable price, but without the Peugeot's bountiful performance. It's time to determine which car has – I dunno – that certain je ne sais quoi...

In Australia, diesel is no longer just the default for SUVs; it's beginning to trickle down into sedans, wagons and even small hatches. Compression-ignition engines produce easily exploitable torque in a low-rev sweet spot for drivers of shopping trolleys and family hacks. They take all the effort out of urban driving – especially keeping up with traffic.

But sporty they're not – until now, perhaps. The two cars on test for this comparison both hail from La Belle France and both are small hatchbacks with diesel powerplants. However, the fact of the matter is that in spite of their sporty looks and demeanour, the Renault Megane GT-Line and the Peugeot 308 GT are quite different in character.

Neither really fills the definition of a 'hot hatch', per se. While the Megane has suspension that's firmly nailed down for that touch of RS handling and nicely contoured sports seats, it feels unremarkable – courtesy of the 81kW/240Nm engine. And while the 308 GT delivers 400Nm of torque – fully 50Nm more than the benchmark in the segment, the Golf GTI – it is more of a tourer than a hatch agile enough to mix it with the best.

Even standing side by side, the two French hatches are dissimilar. They're about $15,000 apart on price, in standard trim. The Peugeot clearly shows the benefit of being a newer design, and one developed within the boundaries set by a financially troubled company that has to take some market share off Volkswagen's Golf. Few things focus the minds of paid employees like a company's financial problems – and that has clearly paid off handsomely for Peugeot, with the 308's engineers working wonders.

The Renault is a good product, but it has been on the market for a while now. Until the arrival of the 308, the Megane would have provided all that the target buyers want: a car that's frugal to own and easy to drive, but not completely sanitised of all fun and driving satisfaction.

For this comparison, I was joined by fellow motoring.com.au staff member, Feann Torr – and immediately we found ourselves disagreeing on the subject of styling. Both reviewers were agreed that the two French cars were attractive, but Feann felt the Megane was slightly ill-proportioned around the rear flanks. I felt the 308 was presented in a more conservative style, but it was a practical package for that very reason. While I find the Megane's wedgier looks appealing, they will possibly date sooner than the Peugeot's.

We did reach agreement on the interior design and finish, with the Peugeot getting the nod. The Renault's seats are more to my liking, being better shaped and more comfortable ultimately, but in most other ways the 308 GT shows how it's done. Feann felt the chrome plinth for the Megane's transmission shift lever looked a bit cheesy, whereas the satin-finish brightwork in the 308 was understated and elegant.

While the seats couldn't match the Megane's for properly contoured shape, the 308's pews remained comfortable enough, although Feann found them firmer and unforgiving on longer journeys. The Renault's snug-fitting design holds the occupant in place while cornering at higher speeds, yet the cushioning is more compliant than the Peugeot's.

Unfortunately, the Megane's driving position wasn't in the same league as the 308's; there wasn't much in it, but the lack of reach adjustment places the driver too far from the wheel when close enough to the pedals. I have been a fan of Peugeot's driving position configuration: small steering wheel practically in your lap and instruments located between the top of the rim and the base of the windscreen. In contrast, I find the reverse-canted instruments of the Megane are harder to read and look contrived.

Materials seem just that little bit more premium in the 308, and the layout of the dash is made simpler by the infotainment touch screen incorporating all the comfort and convenience feature functions – with few redundant switches to complicate matters. That, however, is a problem in itself, as I've noted previously. There are separate (redundant) audio controls at the steering wheel, but satellite navigation, climate control and trip computer functions all require drilling down through different touch screen menus.

For its part, the Megane's single-point controller is a common unit used in other Renault models. It would take a while for new owners to become familiar with all the buttons gathered around the central button/knob for the various ancillary functions – without looking down. There's a stub behind the steering wheel incorporating audio controls. It's completely concealed behind the wheel and relies on touch and familiarity for operation.

Naturally, given the difference in price between the two, the Peugeot was better equipped than the Renault, but the Megane did come with Renault's 'Visio' system to alert the driver as soon as the car crossed a line marking on the road – either at the side or in the centre. That's a good feature in a car sold in this country, where we tend to rack up big distances in a journey.

In terms of interior space, both cars betray their French background by their (relative) lack of storage bins and cupholders in the front – compared with small cars from Germany. Front-seat accommodation is similar across the two cars, but the Peugeot is roomier in the rear. The 308 provides more kneeroom and more headroom, which was further diminished in the Megane by that car's sunroof. The rear seats of the 308 fold flatter than in the Megane. In fact, the Renault's seats would not fold enough for anything even approximating a flat load space. The aggressive bolstering and dense cushioning that's such a boon in the front seats is a flaw in the rear for those who occasionally want to fold the seats down to tote larger loads.

In the boot there's supposedly a 60-litre advantage favouring the Peugeot (435 litres versus 372 for the Megane), but you won't pick it merely by visually comparing the two cars side by side. Part of the Peugeot's added volume is presumably due to the space-saver spare under the boot floor. The Renault comes with a conventional 15-inch tyre on a steel wheel. That's arguably preferable to the 308's space-saver, but still leaves the Megane driver no option but to continue the journey at a reduced pace, since the other wheels are 17-inch alloys.

The brake pedal of the Megane felt clunky and rattly if the driver eased pressure off the pedal suddenly (as in lifting the foot to apply it to the accelerator for a standing start).

On the road, the 308 was undeniably the better drive. The steering is lighter but more communicative and more precise. It points better at the straight-ahead and responds faster to steering inputs. As a bonus, the 308 rides slightly softer than the Megane and the turning circle is certainly tighter.

Feann felt the Megane cornered flatter and just a bit more securely in twistier turns, but I found very little to separate the two cars for roadholding. While the Megane certainly felt a bit more lithe in the bends and better balanced on a trailing throttle – the 308 conveying an impression of weight as it turned in – I would still choose the Peugeot over the Renault. If nothing else, the Peugeot has the substantial performance surfeit that would keep it ahead of the Renault, point to point.

And on that subject, the 308 GT really delivers. In the wet the 400Nm makes its presence particularly felt. It will break traction, and easily, such is the output on tap. There's a 'Dynamic mode' available to change the engine note and power delivery. From the push of a button, suddenly the diesel sounds like a throaty, tuneful Audi V8 – until higher in the rev range. It's all done by techno-magic and audio system gimmickry, but it sure sounds good if you can live with the phoniness of it.

By comparison, the Megane's smaller-displacement engine felt anaemic. Emitting a distant chatter at speed, the Megane's engine was quiet, but so was the 308 until the Dynamic mode facility was selected. The Renault felt lacking on hills and exiting tighter corners at speed. It simply couldn't keep up with the 308 GT and attempts to do so inevitably led to higher fuel use. Over the course of our day in the field, the 308 GT used 6.6L/100km of fuel, versus 7.3 for the Megane. That seemed to be the pattern throughout the rest of the week too, with the Peugeot's idle stop-start system also conserving fuel.

While the 308's powerplant drives through a conventional automatic transmission, the Megane featured a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, which was actually more refined than DCTs sampled in other Renault models. Other than an occasional tendency to roll back on slight inclines, the DCT proved generally very capable. Just one problem presented itself – and it's a factor for anyone buying the Megane GT-Line for its performance and driveability. The DCT won't allow much torque to reach the drive wheels until the Megane is well and truly rolling. It means slower starts from more turbo lag, exacerbating the problem of lower performance from the Renault.

At this point then, there's no doubt which is the better of the two cars on test. Much as I like the Megane for its handling, its looks, the excellent seats and its sensible price/value equation – I'd sooner take the 308 GT for that car's refinement, sensational performance and packaging.

We look forward to a rematch in the future, with a new generation Megane taking the fight back to the Peugeot.