Dynamically, it has all the performance and handling ability one needs in a family chariot. Interior and exterior styling is obviously a matter of taste, but I found the car very attractive on both counts, with none of the glaring vulgarity sometimes found on cars aimed at younger buyers. Although the service plan keeps you going for 5 years or 100 000 km, you won’t get to use it much. Servicing becomes almost easy to forget, with oil and filter changes every 30 000 km, and plug and air filter swaps every 60 000 km. As expected, the back seats fold in the usual 40/60 split to extend loading space. Loading is easy thanks to a fairly low sill and a wide aperture. One finds leather trim, twin channel air conditioning, Tomtom satnav, front seats adjustable for height with the driver’s chair boasting lumbar support adjustment (a bit hard to get to the lever, but it can be done), height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel with satellite buttons for cruise control and Bluetooth, trip computer with the usual functions except instant economy readout, ABS, EBA, EBD, ESP, six airbags, 5-star EuroNCAP rating, seat belt pretensioners with load limiters, foldaway outside electric mirrors, power windows all ‘round, ISOFIX anchorages on the outer rear seats, and a really big boot for what is essentially a small-to-medium family car, at 405 dm 3. Drive is to the front wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox.Īs far as equipment goes, this Megane does well. In real terms, the 1 397 cc four-cylinder unit is designed to perform to levels comparable with a normally aspirated 1,8-litre powerplant with power output of 96 kW, and a torque peak of 190 Nm equal to that of a 2,0-litre unit. The twin overhead camshaft, 16-valve engine has been optimised for high torque at low engine speeds, ensuring instant response with no lag and linear power delivery. Let’s get the acronym out of the way TCe stands for Turbo Control efficiency, linking better efficiency and fuel economy to high specific output with low operating and maintenance costs. It’s not as potent as offerings from some competitors but it’s far less stressed and does what its target audience wants it to do – move a family-sized body like a competent two-litre while keeping fuel usage down to small car levels. That has just changed with the introduction of a really pleasant 1,4 litre petrol turbomotor putting out 96 kW and 190 Nm. Until now, new Meganes offered a choice of just two engines – a not-very-inspiring 1,6 and a rather nice 1,9 turbodiesel. Published in Weekend Witness Motoring on Saturday July 31, 2010 All in all, very happy with my car and would definitely recommend to my friends.We drive the Renault Megane 1.4 TCe Hatchback Well equipped and reasonably priced Although I have the smallest engine available (I think), the car will easily hit motorway speeds quickly. The city manages about 49 mpg in the city and ticks up considerably when I hit the motorway. I mostly drive around London with longer weekend trips to see my girlfriend who works in Sussex. Although there are only 3 doors I still found the car very practical with a massive boot and fold down rear seats, I didn't find the boot shape to be awkward at all unlike some reviews suggested. I initially had my eyes on something like a BMW 1 series or a golf but for the same money I can get a much newer Megane coupe with much better specs and it looks better! I tested all three vehicles mentioned above and the megane definitely felt the most involved as it should being the only car I tested which is being marketed as a coupe. You also get all the specs you can hope for in a modern car for not a lot of money (SatNav which works well, bluetooth which I found easy to setup didn't even look at the instructions, remote key card unlocks and locks the car when you walk towards/away from the car and keyless start). I got the car in the Cayenne pepper orange which looks great, with the driving pleasure to match.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |