The new Renault Mégane brings French flair to the fore, for the same price as a Japanese car. With looks and price on its side, it has the potential to pose a significant threat to some old-school small car veterans. But can the new Mégane pull it all together?
The Mégane Authentique TCe 130 is powered by an efficient 1.2-litre four cylinder turbo-petrol engine which produces 97kW and 205Nm. It’s the baby of the Mégane line-up, but has efficiency on its side.
Mated to a six-speed manual transmission the Mégane is eager to perform and quick to respond – fast to gather momentum from low revs – which is not bad for a tiny turbo engine. It’s also offered with Renault’s dual-clutch automatic transmission.
On the road, the Mégane is simply fun. With six gears at the ready, it’s easy to pitch the pace and revs of the Mégane for a beautifully perky ride – without too much fuss working through the changes. The shift is short and accurate and a joy to manage. Even in stop-start city traffic, the Mégane’s manual gearbox was no bother.
Steering feel is great, too – and well matched to this spritely hatch. With just enough weight through the wheel, the Mégane Authentique exudes a sense of fun and youthful enthusiasm through corners, but with more composure than most youths I know... the dynamics inspire confidence in both the build and capability of this small car.
Running on 16-inch wheels, road noise inside the Mégane is minimal, adding to its overall refinement.
The technology inside the Mégane Authentique is probably a little light on, but acceptable for an affordable entry-level model. The basics include cruise control and speed limiter, push-button engine start, day time running lights, Bluetooth with audio streaming and idle stop-start engine for greater fuel efficiency. There’s no obvious flair to the technology suite, but it’s straight forward, with clearly marked buttons for phone, media, radio etc. The screen set on top of the dash offers audio information, but it’s small and deep set.
The instrument binnacle is probably the tech highlight from a visual standpoint – it looks the goods and provides a modern digital display for speed, fuel, temperature and trip readings. You need to step up to the GT-Line to gain the extra goodies that some rivals offer as standard – parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and satellite navigation, for example. But that will set you back and extra $6000.
What technology is on board however, works seamlessly – once you locate the right button.
Aesthetic flair noted, what the Mégane doesn’t deliver on quite so elegantly are ergonomics. The entire interior of the Mégane is a puzzle of small buttons and dials in all the wrong places. The push-button start is to the far left of the centre stack, cruise control buttons are found on the steering wheel, the speed limiter in the centre console and the audio controls on a stalk to the right of the steering wheel – it’s disjointed, at best.
Don’t get me wrong, comfort is good inside the Mégane – it’s just the more practical in-car activities that suffer and see the Mégane settle below par for ergonomics.
Back-seat passengers – ideally just the two – are afforded a good level of comfort with reasonable head and shoulder room, but leg room is a little tight.
Incidental storage in the Mégane is poor, and placement of cup holders not the least bit useful. The 60:40 split fold seats take advantage of what space this small hatch has to offer.
The turbo-petrol Mégane sips premium fuel and at the end of a city-based test week, returned an average consumption of around 8.2-litres per 100km.
All variants of the Mégane are backed by a five -year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, five years’ roadside assist and a capped-price servicing program. The car also has good safety credentials, including six airbags, antilock brakes, stability control, emergency brake assist and gains a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
In a crowded segment, the Renault Mégane Authentique has upped the stakes – it offers buyers European glamour without the high price tag.
What we liked: | Not so much: |
>> Engaging steer | > Lacks technology |
>> Great six-speed gearbox | > Poor ergonomics |
>> Economical | > Passenger legroom |