Renault Megane GT 2014 Review

You may not believe this but not everyone wants to buy an SUV. A few traditionalists still prefer wagons and these days Renault wants to entertain them and their wallets.

As part of a model year 2013 update of its Megane small car range, the French car manufacturer added a wagon to its line-up, which was previously limited to a five-door hatchback and a coupe-cabrio.

There were various other bits and bobs added too; styling updates, a new small turbo-petrol engine for the entry-level Expression hatch and an intermediate GT-Line specification, which sits above the Dynamique level.

This road test concentrates on the $31,490 (plus on-road costs) GT-Line ‘Premium Pack’ version of the 2.0-litre petrol-engined Megane wagon and the $28,990 (plus ORCs) GT-Line 1.5-litre turbo-diesel hatchback.

Important ingredients of the GT-Line includes a sportier suspension tune developed by those cool dudes at RenaultSport, dual-zone climate-control, Tom Tom integrated satellite-navigation with new joystick control, unique cloth seats, specific bumpers, a dashboard design including a carbon-fibre-ish swathe and red trim line a la the wonderful RS 265, a RenaultSport speedo and a reach and rake adjustable RenaultSport leather steering wheel with red stitching.

Auto headlights and wipers, boomerang-style LED driving lights, an electronic parking brake, rear parking sensors, leather-clad gearshifter tinted rear/side glass, attractive 17-inch Celsium alloy wheels, foglights, keyless entry and starting and hill-start assist are also part of the deal.

For $2500 the Premium Pack adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear armrest with cup-holders, a reversing camera, panoramic sunroof, front parking sensors and Renault’s Visio System, including lane departure warning.

All that is on top of front, front-side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, electronic brake assist and brakeforce distribution. Significantly, the shift of production from Turkey to Spain now allows the Megane range to unequivocally claim a five-star EuroNCAP crash testing rating.

The upgrades of the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension include stiffer springs and dampers, a 30mm lowering of the front and rear roll centre height and a 112mm lowering of the centre of gravity.

Given this tuning work has been undertaken by the crew at RenaultSport, the result is unsurprisingly good. Steering, handling and ride are melded into a neat and convincing compromise. Some people might find the ride a bit too terse, but plenty more will appreciate the improved feedback and control compared to the standard Megane.

The wagon is significantly bigger and heavier than the hatch; the wheelbase grows 62mm and the overall length is up a huge 250mm. That means more rear legroom and a 40 per cent boost in luggage capacity to 524 litres. The kerb weight climbs 52kg from diesel hatch to petrol wagon (add 11kg and $2500 if you opt for the turbo-diesel wagon).

The split-fold bench seat flattens to grow storage space enough for a mountain bike to fit comfortably. You can also fold the front passenger seat flat for a total storage space of 1600 litres and length of 2550mm for the capability to fit really long items like surfboards.

Useful features include high-opening tailgate, flat loading lip, outboard and under-floor compartments, rear cargo hooks, luggage cover, three-position cargo net, standard roof rails and a folding boot floor to split the load space. An emergency spare tyre is found under the floor.

For smaller items there are small rear and larger front door bins, a bin in the back of the centre console and dual seatback pockets. The glovebox is reasonably sized.

A single cup-holder up-front is poorly situated under the centre stack and is better for phones than drink containers. Another continuing issue is the instrument display that angles the three dials back so far they are more difficult to read. Odd numbering in the analogue speedo isn’t the best in Australia where limits tend to come in even numbers. A digital readout helps with this.

However, the controls for the audio system, which includes Bluetooth audio streaming, are significantly easier to operate than the clunky original and the remote control plinth on the steering column remains a good idea.

The wagon’s 103kW/195Nm 2.0-litre petrol allies with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and is a known entity of neither any particular virtue or vice. The claimed 7.9L/100km fuel consumption average is optimistic – as most claims are.

The hatch’s 81kW/240Nm 1.5-litre engine and its six speed ‘efficient dual clutch’ (EDC) gearbox with manual mode are also a familiar part of the technical package. A claimed fuel consumption average of 4.4L/100km translated to a real world 5.5L/100km. That is exceptional for the real world.

The small engine feels shallow on response compared to a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, but matches up pretty competitively with its petrol sibling. Sadly, the drivetrain makes an unpleasant grinding noise at low speed when accelerating. It sounds like clutch slip but doesn’t feel like it. And while the diesel can’t match a turbo-petrol for smoothness and quietness, it is not objectionable.

This just about sums the GT-Line up really. There’s a bit of character here, plenty of equipment and a price that makes it competitive. Engine oomph could be the issue. But if a small wagon appeals rather than the default SUV then the Megane is worthy of a test drive.

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $31,490
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metallic paint $800
Crash rating: 5.0
Fuel: 91 RON unleaded min (95 RON recommended)
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.9L/100km
CO2 emissions (g/km): 188g CO2/km
Also consider: Holden Cruze Sportwagon (from $25,790); Hyundai i30 Tourer (from $25,590); Peugeot 308 wagon (from $35,490); Proton Exora wagon (from $25,990); Volkswagen Golf wagon (from $26,990).

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