Renault Megane III
Debut: 2008 |
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French cars used to be very strong in European market. However, they have been declining in recent years. The once big selling Peugeot and Renault are facing sales decline and job cuts because their latest products are not as popular as their predecessors. The problems at Renault seem particularly serious – its highly anticipated Laguna III turned out to be a sales disaster, much the same way as the earlier Modus and Vel Satis. New Twingo is likely to be another casualty considering its mediocre reputation. The remaining lifesavers are Clio and Megane. Both cars perform reasonably well up to now, but their profit margins are being eaten up by the increasing invasion from Korean and Japanese cars. To keep Renault alive and the French in the driving seat of Renault-Nissan group, the new generation Megane has to succeed. But can it ? This is the third generation Megane. You might remember the first generation once challenged Volkswagen Golf as European No. 1 seller. The second generation stunned us with a radical semi-sedan-semi-hatchback tail. No matter succeeded or not, they tried very hard to be outstanding. However, I have a feeling that under the leadership of Carlos Ghosn, Renault became increasingly conservative. To save money and keep the company free from risks, Ghosn usually approves new cars using last generation platforms and standardized technologies from component suppliers. This is why the Megane III is built on a development of the Megane II platform. It still employs torsion-beam rear suspensions, which is a low cost compromised solution. This might put it in an unfavourable position against the multi-link camp headed by Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and even Kia Cee'd and Hyundai i30. It is by no means a French Revolution.
Nevertheless, containing the old wine is a new bottle. It appears to be lower, wider and sleeker than the old car. But it also looks softer and less distinctive. Renault tried a similar design theme with the current Laguna, and it has been proved to win few friends. Frankly, I think it could be another failure. Comparatively, the interior looks much better. It is light and airy, competitively spacious and elegantly designed. Mind you, it doesn’t set new standards in materials, fit and finish and quietness, because the new Volkswagen Golf has raised that bar again, but this is still a high-quality environment. The upper half of the whole dashboard is made of soft-touch plastics while there are many elegant chromed accents. The instrument combines an analogue rev counter, a backlit digital speedometer and signal display, which looks quite cool. Best of all, the interior feels very French.
Most customers are likely to choose the 105hp 1.5-liter 8V dCi turbo diesel engine. While it is not the most refined in its class (gruffy at high rev), it is punchy and frugal, achieving 60 mpg in European combined cycle, which is excellent for a C-segment car. It could top 118 mph and accelerate from 0-60 mph in a little over 10 seconds, perfectly acceptable for an entry-level economy car. It makes more sense than the 130hp 1.9dCi, which is not much faster. In the petrol side, you can have Renault's 1.6-liter 16V and 2.0-liter 16V engine. However, you may forget them because they will be replaced by a new 1.4-liter TCE turbo engine next year. This engine is actually designed by Nissan in Japan. It employs a small turbocharger plus intake variable valve timing to produce 130 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque. Quoting Renault's words, it "produces the power of a 1.8-liter engine, the torque of a 2.0 engine and returns fuel consumption matching a 1.6 engine". Renault has never been famous for engines, so Le Cost Killer is right to supplement its weaknesses with what Nissan does best, and by the way saves substantial costs. That said, the 1.4 TCE misses one crucial technology - direct injection, thus it still trails Volkswagen's 1.4 TSI engine.
Unfortunately, local rival Peugeot 308 is equally strong in the camp of refinement yet feels more agile to handle. The new Volkswagen Golf VI trumps both again in nearly all areas. Now no longer having a distinctive design, how can Megane III stand the strong competition ? Will it repeat the failure of Laguna III ? Carlos Ghosn should be worry. |
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| The above report was last updated on 28 Oct 2008. All Rights Reserved. |
Megane RS (Renaultsport)
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Earlier this year, Ford Focus RS stunned us by showing how entertaining a front-wheel drive performance machine can be. However, don't ever think it must be a default winner. Within half a year, two rivals will challenge it for the class leader title. They are Renault Sport Megane and Volkswagen Scirocco R. Now we have a look at the Renault first. The last generation Renault Megane R26 (and especially the track-oriented R26R) was highly admired by British motoring journalists. It showed that Renault Sport has the know-how to build great driver's cars. The new generation Megane RS is built on its well established basis. Powering the car is still that well-proven iron-block 2-liter turbocharged four-pot engine, but it gets revised intake ports, twin-scroll turbo, new piston rings, sodium-cooled exhaust valves, reinforced pistons and conrods and the addition of intake variable valve timing to boost horsepower from 230 to 250. Torque also increased from 229 to 251 pound-foot. Coping with only 30 kg weight gain of the whole car, it guarantees higher performance - 0-60 mph now takes a respectable 5.8 seconds. Top speed hits 155 mph.
Nevertheless, in terms of performance Ford Focus RS is even stronger. Thanks to its larger 2.5-liter five-pot engine, it produces 55 more horsepower and 73 more pound-foot of torque than the Renault. This mean, although Megane RS is 80 kg lighter and have a smaller frontal area, it can hardly keep up with the Ford once the latter open its throttle wide. Moreover, its flat power delivery is no where as exciting as Ford's. You get a slight turbo lag at low rpm, then it picks up quickly at around 2000 rpm and remains committed until peak power occurs at 5500 rpm. Beyond that, you get little reward no matter for power or sound. Ultimately it will cut off fuel supply at 6500 rpm, 550 rpm lower than the Ford engine. Megane RS is not short of performance, but its engine lacks character. Another weakness is its 6-speed manual gearbox. Its gearshift is vague, and its throw is too long. A shame that Renault claimed the gearbox is new.
Compared with Ford, Renault Sport cares more about track-days drivers. Besides the standard Megane RS, it also offers a Cup model which has all the hardcore tunings - less equipment, lightweight Recaro seats, stiff suspension setup (springs stiffened by 35 and 38% front and rear respectively !), lower ride height, a standard helical limited slip differential and stickier Michelin Pilot Sport rubbers. The standard car already has very good brakes - Brembo 4-pot calipers and 340mm discs up front and 290 mm discs at the rear. In the case of Cup, the discs are grooved and the servo has been retuned to give stronger stopping power again.
On the road, the Cup shines in the way it corners. Despite of its power deficit, it can easily keep up with Focus RS in the twisty. Thanks to a lower roof and seating level, its body control is even more impressive than the Ford. It also displays excellent grip and braking. The steering is more refined than the previous R26, but it is still highly accurate and will beautifully load up in corners. You can trust the helm because torque steer is virtually eliminated, even cleaner than Focus RS - admittedly, its front wheels have less torque to cope with. Coupling to the LSD and an unintrusive multi-stage ESP, the car is highly capable in the twisty. You can apply power early out of corner without causing wheelspin or too much understeer. It turns into bend so fluently. While the handling is first rate, ride quality and running refinement is still markedly improved from the old car. The aluminum suspension components and Megane III chassis are more than capable to compensate for the stiff suspension setup of the Cup model. It is not as comfortable as Ford, but more forgiving than Mazda 3 MPS. In case of the standard RS model, the level of ride comfort is even more remarkable. It feels a much more grown up car than Ford, thus is a better companion for long distance journey. However, the soft setup does hurt its steering keenness and degrade its overall sharpness. Unless you have backache, Cup model will be the better choice. That said, the chassis of Megane RS begs for a better engine. It needs more power and a more exciting character to match the excellent handling. Before that is fulfilled, Ford Focus RS is still the better driver's car. |
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| The above report was last updated on 23 Nov 2009. All Rights Reserved. |
Megane Coupe Cabriolet
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Is Coupe Cabriolet a thing of the past ? Renault is one of the few car makers still bet on its fortune. The new generation Megane CC follows its predecessor to employ a two-piece retractable glass roof. No wonder most of the disadvantages are retained, for example: - an intrusive windscreen header; - a pair of rear seats whose head and knee room are more suitable to children; - a massively long tail necessary to store the bulky roof mechanism; - a weight gain of 160 kg over the equivalent Megane;
Still, there are better alternatives. Soft-roof rivals like Audi A3 Cabriolet and BMW 1-series Cabriolet have less compromises in packaging yet deliver better dynamics. If you insist retractable roof, Volkswagen Eos is still our first choice. |
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| The above report was last updated on 27 May 2010. All Rights Reserved. |
| AutoZine Rating | ||
 Megane |
 Megane Coupe |
 Megane RS |
 Megane CC |
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| Performance tested by: *Autocar |
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