Renault Megane Sedan 1.6 Review: The French way...
After six years, the French tart gets a mild makeover, some add-ons and most importantly, a jab of relevancy. But will that be enough to sway your eager Civic and Altis buyers?
The Megane we tested strapped a 1,598cc unit to its front, squeezing out 115bhp at 6,000rpm and 151Nm of torque at 4,250 rpm - every bit regulated by the 4-speed automatic gearbox.
The Pro-active automatic gear box does have a manual selection, but when you are driving a 1.6-liter sedan with a kerb weight of 1250kg, I hardly think the manual over-ride would give you enough of a kick for spirited drives - unless you’re overtaking. Up shifts are usually smooth, but gets jerky when you've got pedal to the metal. Although the same can be said of the down shifts, it somewhat gives the “engine brake” effect you normally get when changing down the gears in a manual transmission. I have to confess that I somehow appreciate this bit though, as it seems to provide some driving fun. In fact, I was driving most of the time using its manual mode instead of just leaving it in “D”.
With its suspension tuned to provide a good balance between performance and comfort more than anything else, the Renault also delivers with it some surefootedness, thanks to its chassis that keeps the car nicely balanced even over undulating surfaces. Cruising at higher speeds fails to unsettle the Megane, and despite it being slightly stiffer than, say, an Altis, can remain comfortable to ferry the whole family.
Renaults are commonly known for their controversial styling. They, for a long time, have given us some of the most provocative designs for everyday vehicles, and it's inevitable that only some people would end up appreciating it for what it's worth. The Vel Satis was one good example.
Nissan themselves have been working closely with Renault from the late nineties, and since then, have begun sharing platforms. With that fact backing the brand up, why aren't we seeing more Meganes on our roads? Well, it boils down to price - you see, at $74,900, it is still $3000 more than an equivalent Civic, and even more so for the Corolla Altis.
So unless you’re open to the thought of paying a premium for a car made outside of Asia with debatable styling, your small family sedan shopping trip would in all probability be a short one.
Credits: Story by Jegan Das Haridas, pictures by Azfar Hashim
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