Renault Megane When Renault launched their second Megane in 2003 the world at large, most particularly those interested in bottoms, sat up and took notice. It wasn’t just the TV ads –  featuring a selection of human rears accompanied by Groove Armada’s song with its frequent exhortations to “shake that ass” – but also the car’s rear end which ensured you’d know this one when you came up behind it in the traffic. The Megane's was not a back end you could ignore. The new car is altogether more politically correct. The rear end is now more mainstream, dare I say ‘ordinary’, and with it comes the advantage of a much larger boot – at 405 litres (14.3 cubic feet), it’s 23% up on the previous model. Those figures are actually for the hatchback, but alongside this model Renault are also launching the Coupe which takes over from the previous 3-door Sport Hatch. Sales of that one were never that great, but the company is convinced the new Coupe will account for a much larger percentage of the total. It’s certainly got the looks to do the job; front, rear and side views are all attractive, and there are not too many cars which score on all three angles. For the test of the hatchback we had the 1.9 diesel (130PS), and like all these Renault-Nissan dCi units this is a very refined engine with ample torque to make life easy; fitted with a 6-speed gearbox it returns a combined fuel figure of 55.4mpg, with CO2 emissions of 134g/km. Suspension of this hatchback is medium, neither soft nor hard, and it’s a comfortable compromise. Anyone whose last experience of a Renault was in the seventies or earlier, when nausea-inducing softness and roll was the norm, would be mightily impressed at the strides Renault has made over the intervening years in this department. The Megane cabin is roomy, and with plentiful seat and steering adjustments available to the driver there’s no problem in getting a comfortable driving position. I certainly had no criticism of the seats, which though soft in the French tradition do support all bits of one remarkably well, and they have a good deal of lateral control to match the car’s excellent roadholding. It’s an easy car to drive, not only for the expected reasons of light controls and good visibility, but also due to the electronic driver aids – some of them standard like the digital speedo – that Renault now fits to its Meganes. The automatic handbrake (standard on all) takes a bit of getting used to, but you can see the point. Switch off engine – handbrake comes on; start engine (just press a button, no key required) and move off – handbrake automatically disengaged. Standard on all bar the base model are auto wipers and headlights – nowadays so much more precise in operation than the first user- unfriendly systems that would scrape away at a dry windscreen or put the headlights on as you passed under a tree in broad daylight…..these are now add-ons that you can come to love. The coupe isn't going to sell in hatchback numbers, but the 3-door is indeed a graceful and lively motor. With lower, stiffer suspension (standard also on the most powerful hatchbacks) it has a more sporting ride, though it’s by no means uncomfortably harsh. As Renault themselves put it: “The performance of New Megane’s chassis has been engineered to surpass that of its predecessor and to deliver exemplary roadholding”. They’re right; it’s one of those cars that goes where you point it with no fuss whatever, and seemingly with the sort of roadholding that would make Lewis Hamilton feel quite at home. Parking the coupe however is not an easy task. Behind the driver the windows have been designed for looking good, rather than looking through, so they’re small and unhelpful in tight situations. Rear seat passengers will also notice that they're sitting in the dark, though our black upholstery (lighter colours including grey and beige are available) did reinforce that impression. This new Megane is Number 3, and Renault are loudly trumpeting its safety credentials. Standard on all cars are Electronic Stability Programme and loads of airbags, the front of which are two-stage, which is to say they adjust their inflation to suit the accident you’re having. For the coupe there are even bags in the front seat cushions to prevent submarining – that lethal business of sliding under the belt so that the diagonal part meets neck rather than chest; they’re not needed for the hatch thanks to the belt mounting points being further forward. Whatever the public thought about the ads for the Megane II, the car itself won a lot of praise and was voted Car of the Year in 2003. It’s been perennially popular in Europe, and here in the UK it’s been a regular in the top ten; indeed in the years 2004-6 it was consistently fourth or fifth best seller. Interestingly, the UK penchant for diesel was exhibited strongly in Megane purchases – around 70% were diesel powered. The Hatchback and Coupe are out now. Other versions such as the Sport Tourer and Coupe Cabriolet will continue as before until they too are replaced; the cc not until 2010. Size:           4.30m x 1.81m Engines:     Petrol: 1.6  -  100PS (hatch only) and 110PS                                2.0  -  140PS and 180PS                    Diesel: 1.5  -  86PS and 106PS                                1.9  -  130PS Gearbox:    5 or 6-speed manual and CVT auto, front drive Best consumption:   1.5 diesels  -   62.8mpg official combined Price at Jan '09:     £13,735 to £18,885   Peter Cracknell l l l l Home New Models Industry Green News Odds n’Ends