Renault MEGANE COUPE-CABRIOLET RANGE
Weve Come To Expect Radical Designs From
Renault, But The Latest Megane Coupe-Cabriolet Is Something Pretty Special. Andy Enright Reports
Renaults old Megane Cabriolet was a good looking car. Although towards the end of its days it felt a little long in the tooth, few could deny it was still a
smart looker and sales figures showed that it kept shifting serious numbers right until the day senior management tripped the guillotine on it. Its successor takes the same basic wedge-shaped top-down silhouette but fuses it to some stunningly high-tech engineering solutions. The first proper glass roofed cabriolet on the market looks set to go straight to the top of the pile.
The Meganes Coupe-Cabriolet moniker may have
Peugeot gnashing their teeth in frustration and although their 307CC will fight directly with the pretty Megane, the Renault appears to have edged the gee-whiz stakes. With the roof in place, few would finger the Renault as a drop top. Although the Mercedes SLK, the Peugeot 206CC and the Mercedes SL have all featured folding hard tops, the Renaults dome is yet more sophisticated. The glass roof has been developed by Karmann and takes a mere 22 seconds to fold in on itself, secreted in a cassette in the boot.
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No latches need to be undone to expedite this process, a button on the centre console taking care of everything. The actual glass itself is 4mm thick Venus 35 glass and features excellent thermodynamic and acoustic properties. It features a heated rear window and it also eliminates the usual ageing worries associated with soft tops. Whats more, its impressively thief and vandal proof.
Prices are competitive with £16,820 being the asking price for the entry-level version. Three trim levels are offered - Extreme, Dynamique and Privilege - and
Renault also ace their French rival
Peugeot by offering no fewer than four engines and three different transmission choices. The entry-level engine is a 115bhp 1.6-litre VVT unit, theres also a 136bhp 2.
0-litre VVT powerplant for those with a heavier right foot and real speedsters will like the 165bhp 2.0-litre Turbo. A little moment of history is made as well the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet is the first hard-top cabriolet to feature a diesel engine, in this instance a 120bhp 1.9-litre dCi engine that has featured in the Megane hatchback range.
The three transmissions are a five-speed manual for the 1.6-litre engine, a six-speed manual box for the 2.0-litre cars and the 1.9 diesel, plus a four-speed automatic with manual flick-shift override for all the petrol models.
"A lot of care has gone into constructing a roof that not only looks good but works well too"
Despite sharing a strong family resemblance with the Megane hatch, in fact only the front headlamps, grille and bumper section and front bonnet are shared with its more practical sibling though inside, the dashboard and the front seats are identical to those in Megane II. Designed by Renaults Corporate Design Department, the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet is a very sleek car when the roof is down. With the roof up the silhouette is unconventional, the low dome of the roof and the long rear bootlid taking a little getting used to. The absence of door pillars or side trim strips contribute to the elegant lines and a lot of care has gone into constructing a roof that not only looks good but works well too.
Peugeot experienced a lot of teething troubles with the 206CC roof and Renault are looking to avoid similar glitches. The mating surfaces around its opening panels critical in a cabriolet have been the object of special care. The stiffness of the body has been designed to keep the cabin space intact in the event of a rollover with the aid of strengthened windscreen pillars, body sides and sills, and by two fixed hoops installed as standard. The third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection and the six airbags, including the two anti-submarining airbags beneath the cushions of the front seats, provide occupants with optimum protection.
In addition, the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet can be equipped with two automatic safety hoops which deploy whenever an imminent rollover is detected. Luggage space is a class-leading 490 litres with the roof in place, but take this figure with a pinch of salt. Much of this is earmarked for the roof cassette and with the roof folded down youll only get a meagre 190 litres to play with. Equipment levels are respectable for a mid-range cabriolet.
The electric door mirrors, the four electric windows, with one-touch opening, the anti-draught nets and safety hoops, covered with soft foam, contribute to operating comfort. There are several stowage spaces, including a refrigerated 17-litre glove box which is automatically locked whenever the doors are locked, to protect its contents from theft. Passenger accommodation comes in the shape of provides four proper seats and interior space which is considerable for a car of this ilk. In the front, the lowered position of the seats ensures comfortable headroom in coupe configuration.
The slope of the windscreen has been designed to provide the front
seat passengers with maximum space and to reduce what designers dub "cap effect". This is the feeling that the windscreen header rail is intruding on your peripheral vision, masking the view of the road ahead, especially on typically undulating country roads. In the back, the headroom, the knee clearance and the available width are among the best in the class. In addition, access to the back seats is made easier by the position-memory of the front seat slides and seat backs.
Features such as the hands-free Renault Card for access and ignition, the integrated fuel filler cap and the aviation-style hand brake are all clever touches that incrementally tot up the showroom wow factor. Its difficult to see how the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet can possibly fail. Good looking, well engineered and packed with novel features, Renault have put the issue beyond any reasonable doubt with a very aggressive pricing policy. Expect this to be the shape of next summer.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet range
PRICES: £16,820-£20,320 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 146-196g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0] Max Speed 127mph / 0-60mph 9.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0] (combined) 34mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side, curtain and anti submarine airbags / seatbelt pre-tensioners / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4350/1780/1420
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