A friend of mine owned a Renault Megane about four years ago that she not-so-lovingly referred to as her “Renault migraine”. She had technical problems with the car and was given the runaround from the dealer she bought it from, so when she had finally paid it off, she vowed never to buy another Renault.
Of course, that could be said of just about any vehicle brand in this country: there are perhaps a handful (if that) of car brands that go out of their way to keep customers happy and Renault has never been among that select few.
The company is aware of these negative perceptions and the result is a major push to educate dealers in an attempt to turn perceptions of the brand around. And given that Renault is now manufacturing cars in South Africa, it sees this problem of perception as significant and has launched an ad campaign in an attempt to get people to give it a second chance.
The Megane, Scenic, Megane Coupé and Grand Scenic were all launched a few weeks ago.
Megane coupé
Obviously the one that stood out was the one that offered the most engaging drive and that was the Megane coupé.
Powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine producing a paltry 83kW of power and 151Nm of torque, the coupé is in no danger of breaking any land-speed records, but what it lacks in vooma it more than makes up for in dynamics. The streamlined two-door feels comfortable, from the purposeful interior and the slick six-speed manual gearbox all the way through to its impressive road-holding characteristics. Of course, when you compare it to other coupés such as the VW Scirocco, the Megane doesn’t quite measure up, but the competitive price tag of R220 000 makes it an appealing alternative.
Scenic and Grand Scenic
In many ways Renault led the MPV people-carrier market with the introduction of the baby Scenic many years ago, but other manufacturers have made this a hotly contested market segment and as a result it’s no longer acceptable to produce vehicles that are simply safe and spacious — MPVs now have to be fun to drive too.
Both the baby and the Grand Scenic proved to be practical, attractive options complete with the sort of gizmos that will impress Generation Y (or is it Generation Z?) as much as they impress their parents.
A nifty feature on most of the new Renaults is the built-in TomTom navigation unit, which costs just R5 000 on the models in which it’s not a standard feature. While the standalone units available at most stores cost anything from R1 200 up, this unit is built into the instrument panel and, while the fitted option seems expensive, other manufacturers charge anything from R10 000 to R25 000 for their navigation units.
The Scenic ranges in price from R230 000 for the 1.6-litre to R290 000 for the 1.9-litre diesel Grand Scenic.
Megane hatch
Thankfully the Megane has lost its oddly shaped rear end, as the French designers have chosen a more elegant design for the new range. Just about everything has been improved, from the power delivery — to ensure more grunt at lower revs — to suspension, steering and chassis, which all work perfectly together to give the Megane a not-too-shabby ride quality.
The five-door hatch is quite spacious and the 1.6-litre I drove exhibited average acceleration, but the notable aspect is the claimed fuel consumption of 6,9 litres per 100km. It’s also worth noting that the Megane scored maximum marks in the EuroNCAP crash tests.
The Megane hatch ranges in price from R215 000 for the 1.6-litre to R257 000 for the 1.9-litre turbo diesel, with a 1.4-litre option arriving in January.
All the new cars come equipped with ABS, airbags, electronic stability control and other safety features, and they all come with a three-year/100 000km warranty and a five-year/100 000 service plan.
Environmental issues were also highlighted as Renault pointed out that 12% of all the plastics used in the new cars were made from recycled material.