Published:
5 April 2012Renault’s relentless drive for quality continues in the Mégane, which now appears to rival the standards of more premium players. But know where to look and you can find scratchy, hard plastic. The wooden fillet running across the dash of top-spec cars looks somewhat contrived, but the general direction in which Renault is heading with this car is welcome.
We also quibble with a number of individual choices Renault has made for the Megane’s cabin. The instrument pack, with its vast LCD speed readout sitting next to a conventional revcounter, is incongruous. And some of the switchgear in general, and that which operates the (optional) sat-nav in particular, could be easier to understand and operate.
However, forgive the slight pedal offset and you’ll find a decent driving position easily enough, although over-the-shoulder visibility would be improved by slimmer C-pillars. Life isn’t so good in the rear with knee room not generous, even by the modest expectations of the class.
But the hatch's boot is one of the biggest and best shaped in the class – as long as you keep the rear seats in place. Folding them is a fairly horrid process.
Space in the rear of the coupé/cabrio is tight, but the Sport Tourer provides a decent amount of practicality behind that stylish rear end. Boot space is on a par with the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer, but the rear seats are fiddly to fold and the floor isn’t completely flat.
