Test Car Specifications
Model tested: Renault Megane Sport Tourer Iconic dCi 110
Pricing: Tourer from £18,915; Iconic from £20,015; car as tested £21,915
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
Transmission: front-wheel drive, six-speed manual
Body style: five-door estate
CO2 emissions: 96g/km (VED band 91-100: £125 first 12 months, then £140 annually thereafter)
Combined economy: 76.4mpg
Top speed: 116mph
0-62mph: 11.3 seconds
Power: 110hp at 4,000rpm
Torque: 260Nm at 1,750-2,750rpm
Boot space: 521-1,504 litres
What's this?
A
Mk4 Renault Megane, only this time booted up as an estate, which the French firm calls the Sport Tourer. It uses pretty much the same turbocharged petrol and diesel engines as the hatchback line-up, as well as the same manual and automatic transmissions, but there's been a revision to the UK's specification hierarchy. Gone are the names like Signature, Expression and Dynamique, to be replaced by three new trims: Play, Iconic and GT-Line.
The last of these is a carry-over from the old era but both Play and Iconic are new, representing (roughly) Expression/Expression+ and then Dynamique grades, respectively. For the Sport Tourer, even Play models gain dual-zone climate control, 16-inch alloys, keyless entry and go, and a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. This Iconic adds to that with 17s, a full R-Link 2 multimedia infotainment system, rear parking sensors, part-synthetic-leather upholstery and the Visio safety system, incorporating Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition and Automatic Low/High Beam, among more.
How does it drive?
It drives largely unremarkably, although this isn't a scathing criticism of the Megane Sport Tourer; after all, we're talking about a 1.5-litre, 110hp diesel estate that's designed to get the daily grind out of the way with the minimum amount of fuss, not barrel into corners fully lit with a squeal of its tyres and a hoot of laughter from its driver. We've tried this 1.5-litre drivetrain a number of times in various Renault-Nissan Alliance machines and have always found it a refined, decently muscular operator that only really becomes coarse if you needlessly rev it to the redline. Well, it's the same story in the Sport Tourer.
So, if you like its pleasant ride and quiet manners and satisfactory performance, the chief area where the Renault is going to win you over is with its looks. The hatchback is a handsome enough thing and estates are always even prettier, and the Sport Tourer is no exception. It manages to carry off fairly small wheels and a bland colour (like white) without appearing cheap and inexpensive, while plusher GT-Line models are proper lookers. The interior is good on the Megane wagon, too, if not Volkswagen-like in its finishing and aesthetics, but there's plenty of space in the rear and a good-sized, 521-litre boot out the back. Bear in mind, of course, that a couple of its in-segment rivals, like the
Skoda Octavia Estate and
Peugeot 308 SW, are going to dwarf it for carrying capacity, though, so if it's ultimate load-lugging you're after, the Sport Tourer isn't necessarily the answer.
Verdict
Good engines, cultured manners and striking looks are the hallmark of the Renault Megane Sport Tourer, which is a very composed and capable C-segment estate that comes in at decent prices - our test car was some notes shy of £22,000 and yet it felt well-equipped and suitably luxurious for such cash. It's not the most exciting thing in class, perhaps, but then diesel family wagons like this don't need to be exciting; they need to be practical and useable. And, on both scores, the Megane Sport Tourer definitely gets big ticks from us.
Exterior Design
Interior Ambience
Passenger Space
Luggage Space
Safety
Comfort
Driving Dynamics
Powertrain
