/ 20 October 2003

Mega value with Megane

Renault’s Megane sedan is here, and we think it’s a stunner – in our opinion streets ahead of the hatch in terms of styling. There’s also more space, as the sedan has a 61mm longer wheelbase than the hatch, and the markedly longer rear doors allow for easier access.

As in the hatchback, the Megane sedan boasts tons of built in safety measures. ABS, Emergency Brake Assist with automatic triggering of the hazard warning lights and a tyre pressure monitoring system are standard on all models. If airbags are your thing there are six of them in each Megane sedan.

Every possible area of free space within the cabin of the French offering has been transformed into stowage space, whether in the front and rear door panels, the front side armrests, the front and centre armrests, and even the front footwells. A neat touch is the 17 litre glovebox that is refrigerated by the air conditioning system

Buyers will be able to choose from a trio of four-cylinder powerplants: An 83 kW 1,6 litre, a 98,5 kW 2,0 litre, and an 88 kW 1,9 litre direct injection common rail turbodiesel boasting maximum torque of 300 Nm.

Pricing starts at R163 000 for the Megan sedan 1,6 Authentique, with the 1,6 Expression and Expression auto models costing R179 500 and R191 500 respectively. The 2.0 Privilege retails at R199 500, and the flagship 1,9 dCI Privilege will lighten your purse by R209 500.

The sedan comes standard with a 3-year/100 000 kms warranty, a 3-year/60 000 kms maintenance plan and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty.