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Ken Gratton25 Jul 2014
REVIEW

Renault Megane 2014 Review

Renault’s updated small car takes another swing at Golf

Renault Megane Authentique, GT-Line, GT220 and GT Premium

Renault is currently on a roll in Australia. Sales are up, thanks in part to better product planning for the local market. And the cachet associated with the sport models in the local range is trickling down to the lesser models, which also benefit from Laurens van den Acker's carefully sculpted styling for the Clio – and now the facelifted Megane too. The revised Megane range is priced from $20,990 (plus on-road costs).

What the updated Megane brings to you, the customer, is a rationale (not an excuse) to own a small Euro hatch – or wagon – that's not built by Volkswagen or one of its satellites.

Not to knock the Golf, which is one of our favourite cars of the moment, but the Megane offers some flair in the styling department and pitches in at a slightly lower price – two good reasons buyers might prefer the French car over the German one.

But there's always a trade-off. Many – although not all – will rate the VW higher for reliability. Renault has set out to convert a few of those Volkswagen loyalists with a five-year warranty and capped-priced servicing.

We know the Golf is a frugal commuter in the real world, but the Megane is yet to be subjected to the same testing. The Megane GT220 hatch – a new variant in the range – matches Volkswagen’s Golf GTI for power, but gives away 10Nm and uses a little more fuel in combined-cycle testing.

Other considerations also count. To come anywhere near the Golf's rear-seat legroom Renault buyers will have to opt for the wagon rather than the hatch, and while the entry-level Golf 90TSI offers eyeball vents for the rear-seat occupants, that's not the case for the direct competitor in the Megane range – the Authentique hatch.

Some buyers will be alarmed at the Renault's crash safety rating of three stars, according to EuroNCAP. There's more to that story than meets the eye, as we have reported, but there's no escaping the simple fact that the Golf is rated at five stars by the same testing authority.

I could go on, but assessing the relative merits of the two cars should really await a comparison. And perhaps buyers lining up for the Megane wouldn't cross-shop it against a Golf anyway – or vice versa...

Renault let the Australian motoring press loose in different variants of the Megane, on roads throughout southern Queensland and northern NSW. The vehicles tested covered a broad cross-section of the range, including manual variants at entry level and flagship grades, a wagon among the hatches, and premium pack models in addition to the base, mid-range and performance variants.

We were warned during the drive briefing not to be taken in by the odd harmonics from the chosen road through local canefields. The noise we were hearing was from the road, not the tyres or the car. Renault need not have worried; the high pitched sound was not encountered again on any other stretch of road, including the standard kind of coarse-chip bitumen that surfaces roads right around Australia.

In fact, the Megane in every variant – from 1.2-litre manual Authentique right up to the GT220 – impressed for noise suppression and refinement.

The TCe 130 petrol engine (1.2-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder) delivered fuss-free torque from low revs and was smooth right across the rev range. Mated to the EDC (dual-clutch) transmission the small-displacement powerplant was on the boil, ready to respond, anytime. The same could be said of the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine in the GT220, which additionally went about its work with a rich, sporty burble.

While the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel (DCi 110) four-cylinder felt livelier than some sub-2.0-litre diesels, it did take a little while for the turbo to spool up from a standing start. Once on boost, however, it pulled well – and with subdued NVH while cruising. It handled an overtaking manoeuvre with ease, but was a little clattery under load.

The Getrag-built EDC proved exceptionally smooth and capable for the most part, but it was slow to change up, and the Megane GT and GT220 would have been more 'driveable' with shift paddles. As it was, sequential shifting was only possible with the gear lever. Unusually, the manual variants felt more driveable than the EDC-equipped variants; with the self-shifting models requiring a hefty application of the foot on the accelerator pedal for the transmission to kick down.

Steering was light enough in the Authentique model and the pedals and gearshift were similarly suitable for drivers preferring ease of operation above all else. There was more weight and communication in the steering of the GT and GT220 models.

All cars turned in responsively and the handling approached neutral in all cases, but the diesel wagon was slower than the others. That may be due to different weight in the front-end, or the wagon's longer wheelbase. Both the Megane GT and GT220 delivered steadfast grip lacking in the Megane Authentique, which is not to say the base model was not fun to drive.

When it came to ride comfort, the Megane Authentique was king. The GT Line variants offered better body control than the Authentique, thanks to the lowered roll centre and revised spring and damper settings, but the ride was undeniably firmer. There was also a certain choppiness in the ride quality of the GT220 hatch, but the 18-inch tyres soaked up smaller bumps surprisingly well.

Inside, the revised Megane is attractively styled. Naturally the base model looks a little underwhelming in contrast with the higher-grade variants, but the fundamentals are right, and it exudes a sense of quality even at the entry price. The seats in the Megane Authentique were firm, without being especially supportive. Despite the side bolstering the GT's seats were undeniably more comfortable and held the occupant in place better. The best seats of the lot were fitted to the GT220, being both supportive and comfortable.

Red stitching in the GT220 provides a subtle lift for the Megane's interior, which is also helped by chrome, the large-format R-Link touch screen (in the GT-Line/GT220 models) and the cool grey leather of the models trimmed to the Premium level.

While the driving position in the Megane was generally fine, I personally don't care for the backwards-canted instruments, although they were sufficiently legible. Speedo increments were calibrated in 20km/h increments, but the calibrations suited European speed limits rather than common zones in Australia.

Despite my concerns about rear-seat accommodation, both the hatch and wagon provided plenty of rear-seat headroom, even with a sunroof fitted in the wagon we tested. It was just the lack of legroom there that might well be a stumbling block for families with older kids.

Yet regardless of my personal misgivings, the Megane is an easy car that also doles out plenty of fun factor – even in its most affordable form. It will pick up new customers just by virtue of being different from the segment benchmark.


2014 Renault Megane Authentique pricing and specifications:

Price: from $20,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 97kW/205Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 132g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

Find technical specifications of other variants driven here

What we liked: Not so much:
>> Highly refined engines >> Borderline rear-seat accommodation
>> Lively handling and strong roadholding >> Flat seat cushioning for Authentique
>> GT-Line seat comfort >> Diesel wagon less sporty than others
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Written byKen Gratton
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