What’s hot?
- Now in its sixth year, the Megane is still out there as a competent, roomy, practical C-segment (Astra-sized) player, and this 1.5 dCi edition is the best seller.
- Echoing the look of the Captur and Clio, the Megane now gets a fresh boost of on-road style.
There’s a baffling array of option packs so it’s worth looking closely to get the best value. Our version had all the business essentials like sat nav, climate control and Bluetooth - Refinement and solid all-round torquey performance of Renault’s 1.5-litre Energy dCi 110 engine, the maker’s no.1 diesel.
- Sweet shifting 6-speed manual gearbox.
- For the business user, the all important low running costs. Combined economy of 80.7 mpg, no road tax, and just £42 a month in company car tax for a 20% tax payer.
- £1200 sliced off the price compared with the previous range as Renault goes for aggressive pricing.
- We tried the Megane in mid-level Dynamique TomTom trim level (there are Expression + and GT Line TomTom levels, either side). Even so, kit levels are still decent. Carminat TomTom Live sat nav, cruise control, automatic dual zone climate control, Bluetooth, leather steering wheel, ‘Java’ cloth trim and automatic rain-sensing wipers on the standard spec list.
- Well packaged, stylish interior still holding up well. Good for comfort, too.
What’s not?
- While the Megane scores well for general refinement, and cruises well, the 1.5 dCi diesel is still old school clattery at tick-over.
- Good chassis balance but the crisp handling flair of other Meganes in the range, such as the GT Line 1.6 dCi 130, just one level up, makes a big difference.
- You need to pick your way through a maze of ‘option packs’ to get the best spec. On this 1.5, there are four separate option packs and R-Link, a techy new multimedia system with 7” touch screen is yet another £300 option.
