Renault MEGANE II RANGE
As Radical As Its Predecessor Was Conservative, Renaults Megane II Represents A Refreshing Breath Of Fresh Air In The Family Hatch Sector. Andy Enright Reports
At first, Renaults growing penchant for outrageous design was limited solely to the fringes of its range - the niche cars, the guinea pigs. So it was that we had the
Renault Sport Spider and the Clio V6 24v. When La Regie made its mainstream Laguna II beguilingly beautiful however, people took notice, especially when it was followed up with the Avantime and Vel Satis executive models. Renault and cutting edge design were officially one and remain so in the latest Megane II line-up.
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This car marks automotive design at its brave, bonkers, brilliantly bold best.
Conventional wisdom dictates that radical thinking in a traditionally conservative market sector doesnt work. A typical case study would be
Fiat Multipla vs
Vauxhall Zafira. There are exceptions though take Focus vs Astra and it is this sense of adventure that
Renault aim to tap into with the Megane II. The old Megane sold for eight years, sales climbing steadily as buyers became more comfortable with its blend of MOR styling and quietly aggressive pricing.
The older it got, the more customers seemed to appreciate it. The Megane II blows that hard-won comfort zone clean away with a shape thats quite unlike any medium range hatch to date. Most of the attention is drawn to the rear, the Megane being treated to an Avantime style bustle back. Rather than tone down the design, however, Renault have exaggerated it, creating a crazily intersecting riot of straight lines and arcs.
When Patrick Le Quement, Senior VP of Renault Corporate design talks of "the understated dimensions of the boot" you really have to wonder whether hes looking at the same car. Perhaps Patrick merely has a talent for understatement as well as design.
"No matter how striking you may find the exterior styling, for many the biggest surprise will come when they drop into the drivers
seat"
The underpinnings of the car are as fresh as its styling. In partnership with
Nissan, Renault have developed a new C Platform with seven different Megane II body styles now available and with an estimated 1.8 million C Platform vehicles a year being sold between Renault and Nissan. Ambitious stuff indeed, but Renault will need more than pretty styling and more body shapes than Geri Halliwell if its to succeed.
Two distinct styles opened the batting for the Megane II range - the Hatch and Sport Hatch which, translated out of Renaultspeak, mean five and three-door versions. Prices start at £11,090 either way. Further to this, theres now a four-door saloon and a Sport Tourer estate, the Scenic MPV, the Grand Scenic MPV and the glass-topped Coupe Cabriolet. A final variant believed to be a compact 4x4 - may be in the pipeline.
Heady stuff indeed, and probably a sound explanation why the current hatches look so avant-garde. Four petrol engines are available in the hatch models, a 98bhp 1.4-litre 16v, a 115bhp 1.6-litre 16v with variable valve timing, a 136bhp 2.
0-litre 16v, again with VVT, and a 225bhp 2.0-litre turbo found in the Renaultsport models. Four diesels are also on offer, 80 and 100bhp 1.5-litre dCi units for budget customers and 90 and 120bhp 1.
9-litre dCi units for those looking for something with a little more shove. The most powerful petrol and diesel versions are also fitted with a Nissan-manufactured six-speed manual gearbox. A tiptronic-style automatic transmission is also available for the 1.6 and 2.
0-litre petrol powerplants as well as the 100bhp 1.5-litre dCi. No matter how striking you may find the exterior styling, for many the biggest surprise will come when they drop into the drivers seat of the Megane II. The design is neat without being gratuitously radical, but the real revelation is the great strides forward made in terms of quality of materials and finish.
Its almost as if a Renault designers company hack was rear-ended and he got an
Audi courtesy car for the week. Soft feel plastics, quality fabrics and a cohesive design philosophy means a not-so-fond farewell to old-school Renault interiors, many of which were built with the visual drama and structural integrity of a film set. Genuine innovation is in evidence. Take Renaults anti-submarining airbag, a device which leaps forth from the seat cushion to protect the pelvis.
This replaces the traditional (and some would say uncomfortable) hump at the front of the seat and is a neat solution that provides both comfort and unparalleled safety, effectively making it impossible to slide beneath the seatbelt in the event of an accident. Renaults unparalleled experience in the MPV market shines through, not only in terms of passenger space which is excellent - but also in the provision of multifarious cubbies, boxes and pockets. Theres a hatch in the floor to stow valuables, storage boxes between both front and rear seats and even a chilled glove compartment. The metallic hoop handbrake is a neat touch, although motoring anoraks will remember a similar device in the Alfa 75 of the eighties.
Those looking for a genuinely innovative convertible are also catered for. The Megane II Coupe-Cabriolet was the first of its ilk with a folding glass hard top. 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
ford engines and three different transmission choices.
The entry-level engine is a 115bhp 1.6-litre VVT unit and theres also a 136bhp 2.0-litre VVT powerplant, a 165bhp version of that unit and a 120bhp 1.9-litre dCi engine.
The Megane II didnt need to be as adventurous as it is. The styling may well alienate the traditional Megane buyer but theres a big pool of younger, more dynamic purchasers whose needs Renault have often failed to address. For them, the Megane II will be a breath of fresh air, crediting its target market with design savvy and wit. Weve come to expect as much from Renault.
The frontiers of car design have shifted, and the epicentres are no longer Ingolstadt or Turin. Lets hope Renault reap the rewards.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Megane II hatch range
PRICES: £11,090-£20,320 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3E-18E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 120-191g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0] Max Speed 125mph / 0-60mph 9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0] (urban) 26 (extra urban) 44.6 (combined) 35.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side, curtain and anti submarine airbags / seatbelt pre-tensioners / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (5dr) Length/Width/Heightmm 4209/1777/1457
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