Renault Megane 2017 Review

Renault has reworked its popular Megane small car, with the fourth-generation bidding bonjour to Australia shores late last year.

The new, four-model line-up offers small-car buyers a choice of thrifty through to thrilling with a 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine in its entry and mid-spec models or a cheeky little 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four, in the range-topping GT model.

On test here is the mid-range Zen variant. Powered by the smaller engine, the Zen is paired exclusively with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Manual lovers looking to get behind the wheel of a Megane will need to opt for the entry Life model or keep their fingers crossed that the Megane RS will indeed feature a manual as revealed exclusively by motoring.com.au in October.

Price wise, the Renault Megane Zen’s compares with the smaller, three-cylinder Peugeot 208 GT-Line, even though it is one segment size bigger. While each car puts out an encouraging 205Nm, the extra cylinder spurs the Megane along with 97kW against the Peugeot’s 81kW. It also has a more conventional engine note which may be preferable for some drivers.

The Megane’s engine also benefits from the pairing with its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which is perfectly matched to engine revs and gives swift progression whether on the open road or around town, settling in nicely to its most appropriate gear with no fuss or driver intervention.

The price of Zen
At $27,490, the Renault Megane Zen is not a cheap small car, but it’s not supposed to be. Its build quality feels solid and its fabric upholstery is attractive and hard-wearing.

Fortunately, the interior plastics also have a better appearance and feel and superior quality to those in the similarly priced Renault Captur Expression.

Exterior and interior styling is sophisticated and we really liked the rounder appearance of this current model than the angular lines Renault has previously offered on the Megane.

The Zen offers a good range of standard equipment including keyless entry and push-button ignition, idle-stop technology, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, 7.0-inch touchscreen with sat-nav, two USB sockets and two 12-volt sockets in the front and rear, dual-zone climate control and rain-sensing wipers.

Even though the Zen doesn’t step you up to leather (or even leather appointed) upholstery, it’s fabric seats are stylish and comfortable and combine with the interior design to give the cabin a premium feel worthy of the price point.

If anything, I found the large portrait screen to be distracting, with too much information on screen and too many functions available while driving. So if it were down to me, I’d stick with the standard screen and save myself $1990.

While the R-Link 2 system boasts voice recognition, navigation addresses are unable to be entered by voice, the system telling the driver that Australia is not supported as a country. That’s disappointing and despite checking, we were unable to find out from Renault whether that’s a glitch we experienced or whether it’s a feature we just don’t get here. Australian addresses can be entered manually through the touchscreen but not dictated.

Better safe than sorry
Safety technologies are also poorly represented on the Megane with some driver assistance aids not currently available across the range, either as standard equipment or optional extras.

Yes, the reversing camera is a good one, and the inclusion of both front and rear parking sensors is admirable for a mid-range small car, but there’s no autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control or even blind-spot monitoring. All of these features are becoming invaluable, particularly for city drivers or commuters who will likely choose the Megane for their daily drive, yet curiously it is only the Megane GT-Line that is equipped with blind-spot monitoring as standard.

For drivers who are willing to overlook the absence of these features on the new Megane, its competitive fuel consumption, which we saw running around the 6.8L/100km mark, is officially listed at 5.6L/100km and may be an attractive selling point.

The art of Zen
As a hatch of course the Megane is eminently practical too. Its 60:40 split-fold rear seats flip forward to give an available luggage capacity of 1247 litres, and should you need to carry rear passengers, there’s plenty of leg and headroom for them, as well as rear vents to help keep them cool.

The layout of the console for the driver is also practical, the Megane Zen’s electric park brake freeing up space for two cup holders with sliding cover in the centre console, and door pockets are reasonable with a full sized glovebox giving additional storage.

Even with the omission of those driver assistance technologies and the voice recognition issue, the Renault Megane Zen is a really likeable car. It drives and handles well and looks contemporary without running the risk of becoming outdated within a couple of years.

What’s most impressive is the engine performance which has an unexpected zest, given its tiny size. It makes the Megane a lovely car to drive.

‘Lovely’ may not seem a rallying catch cry but I like it as a word to sum up the experience of driving the fourth-generation Megane. I reckon it would be a joy to own. No, it’s not a warm hatch like the GT but neither is it tepid like so many middle-of-the-road small cars, in fact it could even benefit from paddle-shifters for some added involvement. During my time with the Megane Zen, one thought recurred – you’d be pretty pleased with yourself if you bought this car.

2017 Renault Megane Zen pricing and specifications:

Price: $27,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol

Output: 97kW/205Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch

Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 125g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A

Related reading:
>> Renault Megane 2016 Review