03/11/08

• Price18,795
• We like...Keyless entry system
• We don't...Steering, headroom in rear

All-new family hatchback dsn't reach the UK until 2009, but motors.co.uk has already driven it. Here's our verdict

After six years on UK roads, the current Renault Megane hatchback still looks futuristic and...well, um, weird. All bustle-like boot and convex rear screen. So what’ll take over from it – something so forward-looking that it’ll be unlike anything else on the road?

No. We’ve driven its replacement and can say for sure that Renault’s played it safe. Company chiefs admitted that the current car’s oddball looks lost sales as well as gaining them. So the new one, though neat, modern and well crafted, dsn’t stand out. Instead, it looks a bit like a scaled-down version of its big brother, the Laguna. And that bootylicious rump has melted away...so Renault’ll have to think of a new tack for its TV advertising.

But while the present one comes with three or five doors, Renault will shuffle the range so that, when it begins sale in January, the hatchback will come with five doors only. In place of the three door comes a Megane coupe, which looks radically different ( and which we’ll review separately).

If the new five-door can’t wow you with its looks, the number of gadgets fitted to top-end models may raise an eyebrow. Renault’s keyless entry system and electronic handbrake mini-lever feature, as do treats such as a glass roof, auto-on lights, wipers and two-zone digital air conditioning. And to match such impressive kit, the Megane’s cabin is now posher. There’s soft-touch plastics across the dash, while the fit and finish throughout now beats Ford’s and nears Volkswagen’s. And that hasn’t been the case until now. It’s undeniably a pleasant space in which to spend time.

But the Megane’s no cheapie: the range starts at a fiver short of £14,000, while the Privilege dCi 130 we drove costs £18,795. Model for model, most will be several hundred pounds dearer than the current car's. Size up these prices against those of rivals such as VW’s Golf or Ford’s Focus and they’re competitive enough, though.

Here’s the crunch: is this new car good enough to drag buyers away from the Focuses or Golfs they’d otherwise drop their cash on (remembering also that a new Golf is due to show up within weeks).

It’s certainly very pleasant to sit in and inoffensive to look at. It rides fluidly and the car scrubs away urban road ripples well. The gears and pedals have a sensible progressive weight to them and the minor controls are well placed. The diesel engine is strong and smooth. But we didn’t like the steering much. It feels ‘dead’ around the straight ahead position and gives little if any clues as you turn it as to what the front tyres are up to. As a result, we found the car more challenging to place exactly on the road than we’d want.

And while the cabin is airy and light, the way space is arranged in the rear appears odd. There’s excellent leg room for those in the back but headroom is tight for taller souls, particularly if they’re sat centre rear, because a ‘hump’ in the rear bench jams their heads against the roof lining. The boot at least, is big, boxy and easy to load under its big, wide tailgate.

Given the current Megane’s boldness, we expected more of the new one, something that would surprise or excite. But if it’s there, we couldn’t find it. Make no mistake: it’s a good car. Just, for us, not an exciting one.

View new and used Renault Meganes at motors.co.uk

• Engines1.9 DCi
• Power130bhp
• 0-60 mph
• Economy55.4mpg
• CO2g/km134
• Insurance groups
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: