![]() Apart from the driver’s chest, protection of which was adequate, protection of all critical body areas was good or adequate. Renault showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. Dummy numbers showed good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Just don't harbour intentions of dashing along the outside lane on anything other than special occasions.The passenger compartment of the Megane E-Tech remained stable in the frontal offset test. But if you need a well-put-together small family car, the Megane could pique your interest and instil a dose of pride not often inspired by a no-frills ride. The sedan is a bit of a pariah variant, given it is not sold in Renault's native France – rather, it is sent into emerging territories to bid for market share. The claimed fuel economy might be generous judging by my own driving, however – the aforementioned high revving and my attempts to hurry along the Megane to something approaching highway speeds saw me comfortably eclipse even Renault's urban-driving figures. And the light steering gives fairly precise handling, where in some competitors you feel an errant twitch from the driver could lead to a horrific multi-car collision. The ride quality is surprisingly smooth the continuously variable transmission means acceleration is similarly jolt-free, if lackadaisical, with an optimistic manual up/downshift option. It is slightly larger than the previous generation, meanwhile, and that increased scale shows: the rear seats don't feel cramped and boot space is more than adequate. Not quite French flair or Renault's hallowed "va va voom", but enough character to ensure that you won't be shamefully shielding your face when you retrieve the Megane from car parks and valets. At least Renault is trying.įrom the outside, the bulbous nose, offset by daytime-running LED lights, won't be to everybody's liking, but it has a lick of individuality about it, in a habitually uninspired segment. And while the interior isn't in any way striking, with its ugly dog's-leg hand brake, it does offer some strange embellishments on dash and door that look like – but I am almost certain are not – carbon fibre. You are in the territory of the Toyota Corolla and omnipresent hire-car staple the Mitsubishi Lancer, yet that price is set to undercut. No dice.īut here is where things flip: the Megane costs from Dh52,900. There is a USB slot, but do you get a touchscreen via which to play your files? Sorry. ![]() My test car's PE spec possesses few features you wouldn't have found in a small family car five years ago. In an age of engine downsizing, when carmakers wring increasingly impressive performance out of dwindling cubic-centimetre totals, I start to doubt that this engine is actually a 1.6L. Indeed, whenever you put your foot down, that is the primary thing it does do, only without any actual impressive forward momentum. It emits a whiff of rental-fleet mediocrity. When I plonk myself into the driver's seat of my 1.6-litre test car and turn the ignition key, my first thought revolves around the words "hire" and "car". Considering its current lowly standing in Formula One right now, it could be suggested that is not a particularly wise move.Įither way, roaring off the start line is probably last thing on your mind while piloting the fourth-generation Megane, in its plainclothes incarnation (the souped-up GT is a slightly different story, as detailed in our recent feature on its hot-weather testing in Dubai. Renault is keen to talk up how its elite motor-racing know-how translates into its road cars, with its dealerships plastered with photos of chequered-flag-chasing track pinnacles. Transmission Continuously variable transmission
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |