Chic and sporty Renault Mégane

The new Renault Mégane GT Line is a sporty looking number

If you like the look of a hot hatch but you’re not overly fussed about the increased engine power or running costs that generally come with it then you should try out the Renault Mégane GT Line.

This sporty looking number has the appearance of a hot hatch but has a 1.5-litre 110hp engine under the bonnet.

It’s a beautiful car – both in looks and in drivability.

The test car was a five-door, five-seat hatchback. The cockpit is well laid out and completely driver focused – with cruise control/speed limiter and audio controls available on the steering wheel unit.

The cockpit of the Renault Mégane GT Line is well laid out and driver centric

The centre console houses a good infotainment unit with an excellent USB, which played all the songs on my memory stick (a lot of them don’t).

A very nice built-in TomTom SatNav is well placed in the centre of the dash.

The test model was also fitted with parking sensors, auto lights and wipers and dual control air conditioning with nice flick switches for temperature control.

Legroom is good in the front, and comfortable in the back for someone of my height (5’5”) sitting behind a driver of similar height.

While I liked the red stitching on the steering wheel and the gear stick, I wasn’t a fan of the red trim line that stretches across the dash.

Both of the cloth and leather front seats are sports style and are quite comfortable.

Although the Renault Mégane hatch is a five seater, I think two adults would be more comfortable in the back. It’s perfect for three smallies though.

There’s also a nice sized boot – which houses a spare wheel. Rear seats can be easily lowered to increase boot size, but they don’t lie flat.

The Renault Mégane GT Line has a decent sized boot, which can be increased by lowering the seats

The test car was a six-speed manual diesel model and I loved driving it. It has a really refined engine with lovely smooth gear changes.

At the lights, it’s fast. Acceleration is smooth and it handles well in both the slow moving nature of city traffic and on the open road.

The model I was driving had a button start and was fitted with Stop and Start technology, which cuts the engine when you’re stopped in traffic and instantly restarts it when you put it back into gear. It was great in traffic and very economical.

I also found the Resume function for cruise control/speed limiter very handy on the motorway as, like the name suggests, it allows you to resume your previous speed at the touch of a button if, for instance, you had to temporarily slow down to get into the overtaking lane.

I also liked the lane departure warning, which beeps if the car detects you veering into another lane without indicating.

The test car also had an electric parking brake. This is normally a bugbear of mine, but surprisingly I didn’t have an issue with it in this car.

Overall, I really liked the Renault Mégane GT Line. It’s stylish, excellent to drive and is extremely economical.

The Renault Mégane is available to buy now, with prices starting from €18,990 for the entry level Expression model. The top of the range Renault Mégane GT Line I was driving costs from €24,190.

Tech Spec
Engine: 1.5DCi 110hp (diesel)
Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 12.1seconds
Maximum Speed: 190km/h
Combined fuel consumption: 3.5l/100km
CO2 emissions: 90g/km
Annual road tax: €180 (Tax Band A2 – 2013)

Visit the Renault Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.

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