Renault Megane 2014 Review

Renault’s Megane might be a minuscule presence in the small car segment, but steadily growing sales are reflective of the French company’s mounting impact on the Australian new-car market.

Its year-to-date sales of 1185 (to the end of October 2014) might look puny against, say, the 36,925 Toyota Corollas sold over the same period, but a look at VFACTS figures dating back to 2010, when just 243 Meganes were sold in the full year, show the small Renault is actually on a steep upward trajectory.

2010 was the year Megane changed identity from being a quirky small car with a distinct, though polarising, identity to a more mainstream contender clearly aimed at the Japanese (and Korean) rivals.

Backed-up by other significant Renaults – including the top-selling Clio, the Koleos SUV and the Trafic light commercial van – the Megane currently rates as the company’s second strongest-selling passenger car

While some French car fans will probably mourn the distinct, bustle-back character of the previous Megane, there can be no arguing the latest model is more generally acceptable in the eyes of most people – especially with the minimally disruptive but maximally effective July 2014 facial makeover  attributed to styling chief Laurens van den Acker.

The blatantly Renault fascia actually integrates smoothly with the slick lines of the Megane and brings it into line with other family members.

At $20,990 (before on-road costs) in its most basic Authentique form, the Megane sits squarely in the small hatch segment, identical in price with Hyundai’s i30, $500 more expensive than the Mazda 3 Neo, $500 less expensive than the Volkswagen Golf 90 TSI and exactly $1000 more than the Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch.

Equipment levels essentially cover the basics: The Megane Authentique comes with six airbags, air-conditioning, hill-start assist, cruise control with speed limiter, push-button start, power windows with auto-up feature (on locking), idle stop-start, Bluetooth connectivity, halogen daytime running lights, “see me home” headlights and 16-inch steel wheels.

About the only thing we mourned was the lack of parking sensors.

It is powered by the 1.2-litre TCe 130 turbocharged four-cylinder engine that slots neatly into the new genre of efficient small capacity powerplants that effectively masquerade as something much bigger.

Outputting 97kW and 205Nm, the little four-pot delivers excellent punch around town and on the freeway, while managing agreeably low fuel consumption figures.

The official ADR Combined claim is 5.6L/100km, which we didn’t quite manage with an average over a week of mixed driving of 6.3 – typically in excess of the claimed figure, but not by as much as many other cars and probably easily bettered with some added driver concentration.

An unfortunate fact is that Renault asks you to fill your TCe 130 Megane with 95 RON (premium) unleaded fuel.

Our test car was a six-speed manual (a six-speed dual-clutch EDC gearbox became available with the June 2014 makeover), making it as basic a Megane as money can buy, but it didn’t detract from the pleasure of accessing the flexible power out of the tiny engine.

The Megane’s 205Nm of torque is actually pretty high even for a new-generation turbo and this perhaps shows up in the also slightly higher revs at which maximum twist is developed. Others are already on song below 1500rpm (for example the 1.4-litre Golf 90 TSI develops its maximum 200Nm at just 1400rpm), where the Renault needs 2000rpm before working at its best.

This late-ish arrival makes itself felt in only the slightest way, and is most noticeable if you try to push the Megane with very low revs on board. But the torque curve must be relatively cooperative because it’s only necessary to rev to a bit more than 1500rpm before it starts responding with satisfying verve.

Into its working zone, the engine feels particularly strong, both when accelerating off the mark and powering along the freeway. This is in no small way assisted by the well-balanced gearshift-clutch operation that makes it easy to manage consistently smooth manual shifts. It feels faster than the claimed 10.9sec 0-100km/h figure indicates.

The Megane steers nicely too. With its 205/55-series tyres and standard suspension it turns in well and grips satisfyingly enough. The all-disc braking (ventilated at the front) does a god job of containing the 1205kg kerb weight and it’s pretty quiet on the freeway too – although the ride, however smooth and comfortable it may be, feels less cushioned than we remember of its predecessor.

There are some negatives with the Megane hatch. For a start, it’s not the most generous in its class for cabin space: Although the cloth-trimmed seats are comfortable enough, particularly in the front, the back seat is uncompromisingly tight. Cargo space is listed at 372 litres, though expanding this is decidedly clunky, with the rear folding seat mechanism fiddly to operate.

Rear air vents fail to make an appearance too, although that’s hardly a surprise in this category...

The Megane’s dash, which essentially escaped attention during the makeover, is simple and generally intuitive, but it is only after some extended experience that the driver learns to intuitively operate the phone-answer switch hidden on the right hand steering column stalk.

Audio, air-conditioning and other regular functions are otherwise standard in format and operation.

And although the actual quality of the trim materials and general fit and finish is beyond criticism, an overall drab, monochrome interior treatment doesn’t help make the Megane inviting.

A full five-star (ANCAP) safety rating, plus Renault’s provision of a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty with full roadside assist, one-year servicing intervals and a capped-price servicing programme are all strongly in its favour.

In an overall sense, the Renault Megane Authentique stacks up extremely well in the tough small car class. In reality, the only strong objection we could find was the disappointing tightness in the rear of the cabin.

In every other sense, the Renault is a powerful and desirable competitor and, despite its more mainstream leanings, still has something of a French air about it.

Also consider:
>> Mazda 3
>> Toyota Corolla
>> Volkswagen Golf