Renault Megane 2003 Review

You are guaranteed that it will always stand out in a crowd.

The styling of the Megane is controversial – there are plenty who have been polarised by its J.Lo back end and boxy glasshouse perched on top of the hatchback nose – but it is impossible to miss.

For Renault Australia, the Megane is the car with the potential to create a much-needed breakthrough in showrooms.

The quality of the work in the car is reflected in its choice as the European Car of the Year in 2003.

It is the first all-new car from the French maker since it re-launched in Australia as part of the global Nissan-Renault alliance.

Acceptance hasn't been as quick as Renault hoped, but that's been down to cars which didn't have the right mix of quality, value and performance to match the Japanese.

The Megane should have the goods and the 'what the . . .' looks will ensure it also gets people talking about Renault.

It definitely scores on the safety front, with a five-star NCAP rating and a full complement of airbags including side curtains for head protection.

Renault has also brought the cars to Australia with plenty of standard luxury, including electric power steering and airconditioning (automatic on the Dynamique models), electric windows and mirrors, trip computer, six-speaker CD sound and height-and-reach steering adjustment on all cars.

It has also included a range of ¿surprise and delight¿ features that will keep people talking: a chilled glovebox, more storage space than you can imagine – including bins in the front floor – and one-touch controls for all four electric windows.

The prices aren't great, opening at $25,990 with only a 1.6-litre engine, but most of the Megane action is in the $30,000-something range and that will help it compete.

The car also has plenty of impressive French engineering, in everything from the body shape to the suspension layout and seat design and operation. It's a car which always gets you thinking. Sadly, there is not much to talk about in the engine bay.

The basic 1.6-litre four has only 83kW of power and even the 2-litre, which has twin-overhead camshafts and variable valve timing, only makes 98.5kW.

There is 191Nm of torque, but that's offset by a lacklustre four-speed automatic transmission.

On the road

THE new Megane highlights the best and the less-than-best of European motoring. It has a 'look at me' body with a funky cabin that's going to win plenty of friends, as well as class-leader safety, sumptuous comfort and a superb ride.

But it's not as brisk as we'd like, the automatic gearbox is a disappointment, and a price tag close to $38,000 will limit the appeal of a car that's really a trendy four-seater hatchback.

You can get the same space in a Hyundai Elantra for less than $19,000, although that's hardly the point.

Renault is expecting the Megane to run up against cars such as the Alfa 147, Audi A3, Mini Cooper and Volkswagen Golf from Europe, and in that bunch it is much more competitive.

Our test time with the Megane included a couple of cars, although we spent more kilometres with the 2-litre Dynamique.

For the record, we like the look. It's practical, it provides great visibility and good space in the cabin – apart from a slightly cramped back seat – and you feel good when you walk back to 'your' car standing proud in the car pack.

We also enjoyed the cushy seats and classy driving position, all the equipment – including a useful trip computer, cruise control and an outside temperature gauge – and the way the car drives.

At first we thought there was too much tugging through the steering, and it can feel quite 'busy' on broken surfaces, but the feel is good and the car has excellent grip and a very neutral handling balance.

It also rides the worst roads without upsetting anyone in the cabin, something we have always liked about French suspension systems.

The Megane is a car that will happily cover long distances, keeping its passengers happy at the same time.

But . . .

The engine is nothing special and the automatic is slow to shift and puts the motor in a very noisy band at 100-110km/h cruising speeds.

Very few Europeans choose automatics and that always shows when the auto versions get to Australia.

The Megane has a touch-change manual mode, but it's never as crisp to shift, or as responsive, as you expect from a 2-litre Japanese car.

Still, the car is good and we like it.

If you line it up against the VW Golf it makes a lot of sense, even if the German car has a rock-solid reputation, and we can see a lot of Audi and Peugeot buyers being attracted to the new French hero.

It fits into the price spread of its European rivals, which will help it win friends, and few dollar-driven Japanese shoppers will see the sense in the Megane.

But there is sense in the dollars and, even if it's more costly than a Holden Astra or even the Ford Focus ST170, there are people who will like the drive and be convinced to make the jump to something that's a very individual choice.