08 Sep 03
It's been a busy year for the Megane - starting with the hatchback, Renault has launched no fewer than six variants of its funky Golf-class contender. The latest, the rather ambitiously labelled Sport Tourer and Sport Saloon, are the penultimate Meganes, with number seven arriving next year in the guise of the long wheelbase Megane Scenic.
First the estate - Renault has made a lot of noise about the launch of this sporting (ish) estate, since the company hasn't had an estate contender in this class since the 1970s. And in spite of its aspirational 'lifestyle' name, the Sport Tourer is claiming class-leading interior dimensions - while the Tourer and Saloon share 80% of their components with the hatchback Megane, they are both sitting on the same stretched 2686mm wheelbase (that's 61mm longer than the hatch) that the 2004 Grand Scenic will ride on. In addition, the Tourer's rear overhang has been increased by a massive 230mm compared with the hatch. This, claims Renault, will give the Tourer a considerable edge over the competition when it comes to load carrying ability.
In the flesh, the Sport Tourer is a good looking thing, nicely proportioned with a strong stance on the road. It's certainly better to look at than, say, a Ford Focus estate, and the consistency of panel fit is quite cheering to see - quality was low on the list of the previous Megane's attributes.
The Sport Tourer and Saloon is offered with no fewer than five engines - a poverty-special 98bhp 1.4 16V, a 115bhp 1.6 16V, a 136bhp 2.0 16V, and a choice of an 80bhp or 120bhp dCi direct injection diesels. Prices are keen, ranging from around £12,350 for the Sport Tourer Expression (the Sport Saloon Expression is a couple of hundred pounds less) with the 1.4 16V engine, and rise to around £16,500 for the top of the range Privilege 2.0 16V VVT 136 Auto (the Sport Saloon Privilege around £400 less).
