Renault Megane GT Wagon 2017 Review

There was a time when passenger wagons were mostly stodgy alternatives to sedans. Wagons lacked panache and were simply employed to carry the extra stuff which sedans couldn’t manage.

Now, with SUVs to haul loads of people and cargo, passenger wagons have been redefined; some have become outdoor types with all-wheel drive and wheel-arch flares and others have raided the performance parts storage warehouse to become a ‘sports’ wagon.

Thus, the latest Renault Megane wagon (and Sedan) models now launched in Australia don’t mirror the hatchback’s entry-level ‘Life’ variant. Instead the wagon range kicks-off with ‘Zen’, next-up is the ‘GT-Line’ and the range-topper is the ‘GT’.

And Renault Australia says the RenaultSport influenced ‘GT’ grade will be the biggest-selling Megane wagon. Overall, the hatchback will remain the Megan’s top-selling body style, wagon variants will outsell the Sedan two-to-one.

We've outlined previously that the Megane GT Wagon is well-priced and, on the face of it, well-specified, however there a couple of items not offered which surprisingly don’t even make the options list: power front seats and a power tailgate.

Comfortable interior
The heavily bolstered front seats look the part and are supple and supportive, although those broad of beam might find the bolstering on the seat base a bit narrow. Rear seat passengers enjoy a comfortable pew (albeit a bit short in the base) with plenty of head and leg room. Even a passenger stuck in the middle of the second row is treated to a fairly supple seat.

Rear seat storage does not match larger wagons or SUVs, with narrow door pockets, pockets in the back of the front seats and bottle holders in the drop-down centre armrest.
Up front storage isn’t much better, with slightly less narrow door pockets and small-ish centre console drinks holders – although oddment storage in the centre console is reasonable. You get one 12v and two USB sockets up front in the centre console and one 12v socket in the rear (although not in the best spot, sitting at the base of the rear of the centre console).

At 580 litres (1504 litres with rear seats folded), cargo space is less than other C-category wagons, with the Peugeot 308 at 625 litres and the Volkswagen Golf at 584 litres. Nevertheless, the Renault Megane offers a useable squared-off space with four tie-down points, generous side storage bins and one-touch release for the seat backs.

There’s no spare wheel in the Megane GT Wagon; instead you get a tyre repair kit.

Departures from the norm
Renault has dispensed with most of the sometimes quirky French features from the Megane wagon, but there are still a few odd elements.
For example, even though the lane-departure audible warning is possibly meant to replicate tyres rolling on a rumble strip, some think the noise more closely resembles the sound of flatulence.

And the Megane’s European-focused designers were naturally more accustomed to a left-hand drive layout so the cruise control and speed limiter activation switch is mounted on the passenger’s side of the centre console and the shift quadrant is on the left of the gearlever. Neither is a deal-breaker, but the cruise/limiter switch in particular is not ideally placed for right-hook cars.

Competent and sporty dynamics
Once it shoulders past some turbocharger lag under 2000rpm, Renault’s turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine builds up steam quickly and spins smoothly to its 6000rpm redline. Renault claims the GT Wagon will sprint to 100km/h in 7.4sec, which seems about right – it certainly feels quick but obviously not in the league of Mercedes-AMG wagons.

While the ADR combined fuel consumption figure is quoted as 6.0L/100km, we recorded an average of 8.6L/100km after some 300km of country driving inclusive of a couple of twisty hill climbs.

The seven-speed dual-clutch auto did a fine job of gear swapping except, curiously, in manual mode. On the brakes and downshifting on approach to a corner, the gears seemingly didn’t change until back on the power again mid-turn. We even tried – without any improvement - slower corner entry speeds to see if the transmission had an over-rev lockout which might have thought we were going too fast for our desired downshift.

Conditions around Albury for the media launch were cold and sloshy but the Renault Megane GT wagon handled well, staying planted even with quick changes of direction and over mid-corner bumps.

The GT’s ride on its sports suspension and 18in wheels was well-controlled but also supple. However, in the GT you could feel a hint of vibrations coming though the body and steering wheel which weren’t detected on the ‘Intens’ grade (on 16in wheels) or even the ‘GT-Line’ (which sits on 17in wheels).

We also had the chance to drive the 1.2-litre Megane ‘Zen’ and ‘GT-Line’ wagons, as well as sedans in ‘Zen’ and ‘Intens’ grades. The 97kW four-cylinder engine is more responsive than its small displacement would suggest, although it becomes a little coarse when revved hard.

While rear seat knee room and head room in the sedan seems a little tighter than the wagon its 503-litre boot is certainly large (although practicality points are lost due to its relatively small opening).

Sure the Renault Megane GT Wagon is not match for a fire-breathing RS model, but it is an athletic point-to-point tourer with resolved ride and handling balance, a comfortable and spacious interior and a decent amount of safety and convenience features for the money.

Renault Megane GT Wagon pricing and specifications:
Price: $39,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.6-litre Four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 151kW/280Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 134g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ENCAP