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Weekend roadtest: New Renault Megane Sport Tourer
publication date: Aug 14, 2010
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author/source: David Miles
 | Downsizing, down pricing and generally paying less in
motoring costs has become an art. But the car you own, lease or have as
company transport for many people is vitally important for their image.
Take for instance the relatively new Renault Megane Sport
Tourer, prices from £15,855 to £23,975. This is a C-segment or lower
medium sector vehicle but in perceived size and looks it could easily
double as a D-segment Laguna, prices £19,450 to £27,100. |
The
smartly styled Megane Sport Tourer is only marginally shorter in length
to the Laguna Estate 4,559mm against, 4,803mm and the all important
estate load area is 486-litres seats up or 1,562-litres seats folded for
the Megane against 501 and 1,593-litres for the Laguna. For company car
drivers the Megane offers lower Benefit-in-Kind tax levels as well.
Both ranges have a wide choice of petrol and diesel engines and trim and equipment levels.
Renault
has suffered for new car sales in the recession despite the Scrappage
Scheme with sales down nearly 30% last year (63,174 units) over 2008’s
total of 89,570 new car sales. But this year with new models on offer
things have changed with sales for the first seven months up by a very
healthy 101% to 58,607 new car registrations.
Fleet and business
user-choosers customers make up the majority of Renaults new medium and
large sized car sales in the UK but retail buyers should not overlook
the brand as the new model ranges offer some well priced and smartly
styled options.
I have just spent a week with the new-ish Megane
Sport Tourer five door estate, in particular the 1.9-litre dCi 130
turbodiesel with the top of the range Privilege TomTom specification.
Priced
at £22,090 this model is not the best buy in the range but it was the
car Renault could supply after another Journalist managed to damage my
scheduled test car.
If it was me buying, leasing or contract
hiring the Megane Sport Tourer I would be looking at the 1.5-litre dCi
106 Expression priced at £18,915. This model has a Euro 5 compliant
engine, only incurs £0 road tax in its first year and £30 for the
following years and the BIK company car tax is a reasonable 13%.
However
my Euro 4 emissions test model suffers from £110 a year in road tax and
18% in BIK costs, not too bad but every penny counts.
There is
nothing revolutionary, unique or particularly new about the Megane
Sports Tourer over say the estate versions of the Ford Focus, Vauxhall
Astra, the excellent VW Golf and the popular Peugeot 308. However it
looks really sharp and classy with its rising waistline giving the side
view a sporting stance and makes the vehicle look quite long and
substantial. At the rear the load area is sensibly styled so as not to
lose too much practical carrying space because of a steeply forward
raked tailgate.
Core features for all models include
electrically operated and heated door mirrors, five height adjustable
head restraints, Renault’s unique keycard entry/exit system,
multi-function computer, remote central locking, anti-lock braking,
electronic control handling, front, rear and side airbags.
The base
Extreme model has a good radio/CD sound system, manual air conditioning
and electrically operated front windows. The more you pay the more you
get and the Privilege version as tested has more or less everything that
would ever be needed. These items include alloy 16-inch wheels,
folding door mirrors, automatic dual zone climate control, electric
windows front and rear, rear parking sensors and part leather upholstery
to go with the leather trimmed steering wheel.
Ride comfort was fine even on the optional 17-inch roads
wheels, a little on the soft side but after a few weeks of driving cars
with sports specification suspension it made a refreshing and
comfortable change.
The Megane Sport Tourer is not the most dynamic
handling of cars in this class such as the Golf or Focus but for most
people it will be more than acceptable. Road holding was sure footed
with the usual tendency for understeer when pushed but is was consistent
so you know where the parameters are.
|  | The layout of the
controls was generally good although the short stubby control stalks
mounted behind the steering wheel were not in the driver’s line of
vision.
The interior seems well built and laid out with
good quality materials and a digital instrument panel.
The rear legroom
is good as is the headroom so it pretty well measures up for family,
work or leisure transport.
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There are some fine new
engines in the range both petrol and diesel but the 1.9-litre, dCi
130bhp, 221lb ft, direct common-rail turbodiesel engine is still only
Euro 4 compliant so its production life span is limited. Top speed is
an immaterial 127mph with zero to 62mph taking a brisk 9.8 seconds.
With torque available from 1,750rpm the mid range response, without
having to fully use the six-speed manual gearbox, was tireless to drive
and quite rapid when needed for overtaking dawdling traffic on single
carriageway country roads.
Official Combined Cycle fuel
consumption is 55.4mpg and my test car returned an overall 50.2mpg, good
in this sector despite its Euro 4 rating. The more modern 1.5-litre dCi
105bhp would suffice for most owners in this family transport sector.
| The Megane Sport Tourer as a package is a good option if a family sized work and play estate car is your choice.
It seems well built and its expensive looks and styling make it an
attractive proposition but it is not cheap if the published prices are
in fact the real-life transaction price.
A rather suspect, given the
economic climate, a deal can be had, if not look at the much cheaper Kia
Cee’d SW or Hyundai i30 Estate, both exceptionally good value and good
looking alternatives. ©David Miles
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MILESTONES.
Renault Megane Sport Tourer Privilege TomTom dCi 130 5-Door.
Price: £22,090 (£23,570 as tested).
Engine/transmission: 1.9-litre, cDi common-rail turbodiesel 130bhp, 221lb ft of torque from 1,750rpm, 6-speed manual.
Performance: 127mph, 0-62mph 9.8 seconds, 55.4mpg (50.2mpg actual), CO2 134g/km, VED roads tax £110, BIK company car tax 18%.
Insurance group: 21E. Load capacity: 486-1,562-litres.
For: Sharp, classy and expensive looking styling, practical load space, comfortable interior, well built, good engine range options, compliant ride.
Against: This engine is still only Euro 4 compliant, this version is expensive to buy and run and the predicted residual values could be better.
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