YOU are looking at the catwalk queen of the coupes. This stunner is Renault’s creation for the Megane and they have come up with the most eye catcing affordable coupe on the market.
The company has come full circle with Megane which had a promising start, then lost its way with the gorky looking second version with it ugly rear end and lack of space, only to bounce back with a more conventional, streamlined third generation which is ready made for the coupe treatment.
The last model was famed only for its cracking three-door hot hatch. There was no coupe although the cabriolet was a bit of a looker from some angles. This new coupe is cracking from any angle and that is not always easy to achieve.
Its racy nose is set off by the big light treatment which blends in with the in your face air intakes, while the side and rear end is even better because of the cleverly designed ‘eye look’ windows and swooping tailgate.
This bold treatment stirred up quite an argument with Mrs Rogers and a couple of rear seat passengers (her sister and the brother-in-law). Glass doesn’t play a big part in Megane Coupe because it has a high waistline which rises sharply to the rear quarter leaving room for a small back side window.
It is a bit dark and claustrophobic in the back seats and for the driver rear vision is terrible. This is always an issue with Mrs Rogers who likes to see out of the back but not with me because I will happily accept a compromise on rear vision for a car dripping in style. We have door mirrors for heavens sake, use them. Van drivers seem to manage and they don’t have any side windows.
Enough of that, the rest isn’t bad either. My test car came with the modest 106hp common rail diesel which hardly suits the coupe’s image but worry not there is plenty more choice - right up to a monstrous 260hp 2-litre turbo if you are that way inclined.
As for this oil burner, it did the job pretty well and, while it is no flyer, it is remarkably responsive despite its meagre horse power.
Its 240 Newton metres of torque is actually enough to give a driver enough confidence for quick overtaking and the payback is an easy 50 plus miles to the gallon and a thirty quid tax disc.
Driving is a pretty decent experience with good marks for suspension damping. Here the Renault boys have found a nice compromise between comfort and grip so much so that the coupe is more comfortable than a car with such strong, pacy lines should be.
Inside is interesting with the main dials ahead of the driver but true to form Renault has gone outside the box with a bold digital readout for the speedo and an analogue display for the rev counter to the side. It worked for me.
Is it value for money? With a starting price of £16,855 very much so, but the disappointment is the high premium for a diesel engine which is all but £1,100. It means some careful research weighing up the pros and cons between the two fuels although I would always lean towards diesel not just because of the economy but because the all important mid range performance is so much better than the entry level petrol model in almost every case.
So Renault has come up with a nice little all rounder here with bags of style, satisfying drive, reasonable sized boot, may be at the expense of leg room in the back seat, and decent value for money.
And if that lack of glass is a problem then you could always blow another £400 on a large fixed sunroof, which if nothing else, will keep the back seat passengers happy.
Renault Megane Coupe Dynamique
Engine: 1.5 litre, 106hp
Performance: 0-62mph 10.9secs; 118mph
Economy: 62.8mpg combined
Emissions: 120g/km. VED £30.
Insurance group 17
Price: £19,615