Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet range
Prices: £17,295-£23,190 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-11
Emissions: 133-196g/km
Performance: [2.0] Max Speed 127mph / 0-60mph 9.9s
Fuel Consumption: [2.0] (combined) 34mpg
Safety: Twin front, side, curtain and anti submarine airbags / seatbelt pre-tensioners / ABS
Dimensions: Length/Width/Heightmm 4350/1780/1420

GLASS ACT

Our Rating: 7.0 / 10

Renault’s successful Megane Coupe Cabriolet range receives a rejigging. Andy Enright walks you through the line-up

With so many radical new models being launched in the last couple of years, perhaps Renault needed to take a small breather. That’s perhaps one explanation for the modest changes it has made to the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet range, another being a desire not to mess with what was patently a winning formula.

British customers have taken to the option of shutting out the worst the British weather can deal and then flipping their tin-top lids as soon as the mercury thaws out. And although Peugeot initially stole a march on Renault in this area, La Regie came storming back with the Megane CC, a car that made its arch-rival the 307 CC look pudgy and clumsy. Where Peugeot wrought some fairly radical cosmetic surgery on its car, Renault maybe didn’t need to try so hard with its mid-life round of changes.

Let’s get one thing clear from the outset. If you’re looking for a sharp drive, a coupe cabriolet probably isn’t the ideal place to start. Yes, they are getting better in this regard but the earlier models, into which we must bracket the Megane CC, feel a little flexible when the hood is down. Most customers will take the occasional shudder of the rear view mirror or clonk from the chassis over potholes as par for the course and the relaxed feel of the Megane, even with the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine option, makes it less of a problem than in models that try a little too hard.

Renault also aces its French rival Peugeot by offering no fewer than five engines and three different transmission choices. The entry-level engine is a 115bhp 1.6-litre VVT unit, there’s also a 136bhp 2.0-litre VVT powerplant for those with a heavier right foot and real speedsters will like the 165bhp 2.0-litre Turbo. A little moment of history was made as well – the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet was the first hard-top cabriolet to feature a diesel engine. Nowadays, there are three, a 130bhp 1.9-litre dCi, a more affordable 106bhp 1.5-litre dCi and a range-topping 2.0-litre dCi 150.

With the roof in place, few would finger the Renault as a drop top. The glass roof has been developed by Karmann and takes a mere 22 seconds to fold in on itself, secreted within a cassette in the boot. No latches need to be undone to expedite this process, a button on the centre console taking care of everything. The actual

Despite sharing a strong family resemblance with the Megane hatch, in fact only the front headlamps, grille and bumper section and front bonnet are shared with its more practical sibling – though inside, the dashboard and the front seats are identical to those in Megane II. Designed by Renault’s Corporate Design Department, the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet is a very sleek car when the roof is down. With the roof up the silhouette is unconventional, the low dome of the roof and the long rear boot lid a little unusual but it’s a shape many are now very familiar with.

The key changes to this car have come in adding more equipment and also inserting an additional trim level into the Megane CC range, the Dynamique S. Although prices remain largely unchanged, the trim structure now reads: Extreme, Dynamique, Dynamique S and Privilège, with prices ranging from £17,295 to £23,190.

At the base of the range, the Extreme gains air-conditioning, a CD stereo and a leather-trimmed steering wheel, while the big-selling Dynamique adds climate control, 17" alloys and cruise control with speed limiter. The Privilège levers in standard ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) with ASR traction control and CSV understeer control, along with a full beige leather interior.

The Dynamique S comes resplendent in full dark carbon leather upholstery, metallic paint, the same 17" ‘Jarsalle’ alloy wheels as featured on the GT hatch models, plus chromed roof arches to accentuate the car’s roofline and dark grey headlamp surrounds to distinguish the model still further. Given that it only costs around £270 more than the Dynamique, model for model, it’s easy to see this derivative capturing plenty of sales.

How much you choose to spend on the Megane CC very much depends on what engine choice you make. If you’re a low mileage driver, the less powerful petrol engines work out as the most economical bet, the 1.6-litre Extreme undercutting the entry-level diesel, the 1.5dCi Dynamique, by a good £1,500. Al