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Feann Torr26 Dec 2014
REVIEW

Renault Megane GT 220 2015 Review

Like a politician who delivers on promises, the GT 220 is a genuine surprise package

Renault Megane GT 220 Premium (hatch)
Road Test


It's almost impossible to review the Megane GT 220 without making mention of its hardcore cousin, the RS 265. That's because the latter has been a powerful influencer in the hot hatch segment so far this decade, making and then breaking records to remain the world's fastest front-wheel drive car.

But not everyone wants to rip through corners at warp speed, extracting every last drop of performance from their chosen mode of transport. And there's even more people who want the practicality of five doors, not three… which is where the GT 220 shuffles in, bearing a hamper full of pragmatism.

Originally launched in Australia as a wagon in 2013, the GT 220 is now available from Renault as a five-door hatchback and could find favour with cost-conscious buyers, offered at $1500 less than its longer-bodied wagon brethren.

The Megane price range starts at $20,990 (plus ORCs) in Oz and rises up to $52,990 – although there have been $65,000 special edition cars – which puts the GT 220 up near the pointy end. That's because it gets the rorty turbo-petrol engine but comes with a good deal of standard equipment.

Pitched as a top-shelf luxury model, the GT 220 Premium costs $4000 more than the $35,490 GT 220 but brings contrasting black and white leather seats, a huge sunroof and lane-departure warning systems. This is on top of the regular GT 220's assortment of exterior features, such as 18-inch alloy wheels shod with sport 245/40-series tyres, sports body kit, including an assertive front end design with integrated LED running lights.

Interior conveniences such as dual-zone climate control and rear parking sensors work well, as do the GT 220 Premium's added front parking sensors, xenon headlights, sat-nav and R-Link RS Monitor that features all sorts of cool motorsport-inspired data (from torque and power output to G-forces and turbo pressure). The infotainment interface is bit fiddly at first, but you get used to it.

Cruising around at pedestrian speeds with the friends or family on board, everything works well. The GT 220 hatch is a comfy, casual and stylish place to spend time, with good leg and head room for front and rear occupants. Driver ergonomics are good too, with supportive but comfy seats, a good driving position and most controls within easy reach.

Unlike the Renault Megane RS 265, the GT 220 offers a more relaxed, comfortable and sumptuous interior and for mine, losing the Recaro buckets is not a huge deal, particularly if you're not planning on setting new lap records. The addition of two extra doors at the rear is very handy too; I managed to easily slot my daughter's child seat in there, and with a deep boot that offers 372 litres of space there's room for loads of gear – even more if you fold the rear seats down.

As a practical and luxurious family car it functions well… but when you feel the need for speed, the GT 220 turns out to be very capable of delivering that too.

Benefitting from the Renault Sport's freakishly good chassis tweaking expertise, the GT 220 gets a Sport suspension specification, one rung below the RS 265 Cup chassis' tune. What you get is a lower and firmer setup than regular Meganes, but one that's not quite as unforgiving as the RS 265.

The best of both worlds..? It's very close.

When pushed hard through corners, the GT 220 feels almost as balanced and confident as its famous cousins, tracking through corners with a flat but assertive attitude. The steering feels good, responsive without feeling overly assisted and with enough feedback to feel properly involved in the whole process; which becomes very addictive on fast, winding roads.

It doesn't have a limited-slip front differential or some of the tricky front strut parts that RS 265 uses to reduce torque steer, but with less pepper from the engine it's doesn't feel like it needs it.

Packaged with a good set of stoppers (vented 320mm front and solid 280mm rear discs), there's scope to dive deeply into tight corners with this car, which feels as though it could match a Golf GTI in the twisty stuff. Point to point it's fairly quick, thanks in large part to the RS 265's detuned 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-banger.

Producing 164kW/340Nm it's not quite as butch as its 195kW/360Nm brethren but by Jove it honks along under full throttle. There's enough mid-range grunt to hustle through corners in any gear, but by the same token the Megane loves to rev. When you keep the engine on the boil it moves rapidly and the powertrain feedback – more throttle, slap the next gear, do it all again – is addictive.

In less exciting scenarios the suspension feels a little firm at times but I don't think it would be a deal-breaker. As a driver who likes a good hard thrash on occasion, but who also wants to be able to comfortably commute and also travel with family, a car like this appeal on many levels. Renault will miss out on customers because it's a manual-only proposition, but it has a lot more equipment and a stronger warranty too than some rivals, which may tip the balance over, say, a DSG-equipped Volkswagen Golf GTI...

I'd also say that if you can stretch another $1500, to $40,990, the wagon version offer even more practicality and is well worth a look as it's just as agile as this one and looks boss.

Overall, I had a great week with the GT 220. There weren't many things that annoyed me, except fort the oversized credit card-sized key fob. It's fit in the pocket as seamlessly as an industrial cheese grater.

Retained value on Renault cars is still average but improving, thanks in part the company's new five-year / unlimited-kilometre warranty and three-year capped-price servicing programme. This one is also reasonably efficient when driven smoothly, coming close to its ADR Combined fuel consumption figure of 7.3L/100km.

Apart from a required diet of premium fuel, the car's cost of ownership via servicing and extended warranty bodes well. It has more luxury features than its rivals and with equal parts practicality and power, the GT 220 hatch is a convincing alternative the established sub-$40K hot hatch brigade.

2015 Renault Megane GT 220 pricing and specifications:
Price:
$39,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 164kW/340Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 169g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

What we liked: Not so much:
>> Confident handling >> Manual only
>> Loads of equipment >> Firm ride quality
>> Five-door practicality >> Awkward key fob

Also consider:
>> Ford Focus ST (from $38,290 plus ORCs)
>> Skoda Octavia RS (from $38,140 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Golf GTI (from $41,990 plus ORCs)

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