Item: Renault Megane
Rating: 2
Author: What Car? Team

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

Being a PHEV, t​he Renault Megane offers ultra-low CO2 emissions which – along with the decent electric range – will appeal to company car buyers. The Megane is the same benefit-in-kind <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/check-your-company-car-tax-rate/n1255">(BIK)</a> tax bracket as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/hatchback/review/n39">Skoda Octavia</a> iV, but one band lower than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/leon/hatchback/review/n89">Seat Leon</a> eHybrid.

As with all plug-in hybrids, you should take the sky-high claimed fuel economy figures with a pinch of salt. If you travel purely on electric power, your fuel bills will be minimal, but economy will tumble rapidly on longer journeys if the petrol engine is used a lot more and the battery goes flat.

Pricing is in line with the Leon, Octavia and other PHEV rivals, and the Megane gets a decent amount of kit as standard in Iconic trim. However, we’d upgrade to R.S. Line because then you get automatic emergency braking <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">(AEB)</a>. We consider that a vital safety system, and it’s disappointing that it doesn't come as standard across the range.&nbsp;

Renault finished 16th out of 30 manufacturers in the 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>,&nbsp;ahead of Ford and Peugeot but behind Kia, Skoda and Toyota.

Every new Renault carries a five-year warranty. There’s no mileage limit for the first two years, but a 100,000 limit applies after that. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/renault">Renault</a> also provides three years (or 60,000 miles) of roadside assistance cover.&nbsp;

That&nbsp;beats the three-year warranties of most rivals and equals Toyota’s five-year/100,000 mile warranty, but isn’t quite as generous as Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited mileage policy or Kia’s seven-year/100,000 mile package.

Speaking of safety, it’s hard to directly compare the Megane with newer rivals because it was tested by <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a> under less strict conditions than apply today. Looking at its performance, though, it does a good job of protecting front-seat occupants from injury.

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If you want a Megane, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/renault">Renault</a> now gives you the simple 'choice' of just one engine. The E-Tech&nbsp;plug-in hybrid (PHEV) combines a 1.6-litre non-turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors and a 9.8kWh battery pack for a combined output of 158bhp.

It delivers a decent, if not thrilling, 0-62mph time of 9.4sec. That leaves it some way behind the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/hatchback/review/n39">Skoda Octavia</a> iV (7.8sec) and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/leon/hatchback/review/n89">Seat Leon</a> eHybrid (7.5sec) in&nbsp;a straight-line dash.

Most potential PHEV buyers are likely to take more notice of the electric-only range on offer, though. In the Megane, the official numbers suggest it will do 30 miles on a full charge – although in real-world driving conditions expect that to be more like 20-25 miles.&nbsp;

That’s a decent distance which, as long as you can keep the battery topped up by charging it at home or work, should allow you to do most local journeys without using the petrol engine at all. For comparison, the Octavia iV's official range is 34 miles, while the Leon e-Hybrid's is an impressive 40 miles.

Driving the Megane around town on pure electric power is a reasonably smooth, calming and quick experience. If you ask for a burst of sudden acceleration, there’s a noticeable pause while the engine revs build before you actually notice any greater forward momentum.

When it gets going, there are some peaks and troughs in the power delivery, which is not something you experience in the smoother Octavia iV.

The Megane's automatic gearbox shifts fairly smoothly for the most part, and road and wind noise are well suppressed compared with rivals. You can hear a flutter of wind noise from the door mirrors at motorway speed, though.

All models have a fairly soft suspension set-up. As a result, the Mégane gets a little floaty on fast, undulating roads, but will waft over speed bumps or smaller potholes. On patchy town roads, the ride can get a bit jiggly.

The Megane’s softness allows more body roll through corners than rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a> and the Leon, and it’s not a car that feels at home being hustled. The steering is light and direct, and you can alter the steering’s weight with three different modes, but whichever mode you put it in it doesn’t offer a great sense of connection with the front wheels.

The Renault Megane&nbsp;has been on sale for&nbsp;25 years now, but has never been quite as popular as its main family car rivals.

The Megane has always had&nbsp;plenty of style&nbsp;and Gallic charm, but was often overlooked in favour of the more mainstream hatchbacks. To make matters worse, the previous (third) generation model felt distinctly outclassed towards the end of its life.

With this all-new fourth-generation model, though, Renault promises greater all-round sophistication and more 'joie de vivre'. The Megane has been developed from the ground up to renew its battle with the big players in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family">family car category</a>.

There’s a handsome and muscular hatchback exterior, plus a smart new interior.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/renault">Renault</a>&nbsp;has recently slimmed down the engine range to one choice,&nbsp;the E-Tech plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

The E-Tech PHEV combines&nbsp;a non-turbo petrol engine with two electric motors and a battery pack. The result delivers an electric-only range which should be long enough&nbsp;to electrify your&nbsp;daily commute, as well as low CO2 emissions and impressive fuel economy.

If it's the new all-electric version you're interested in, see our full <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/megane-e-tech-electric/hatchback/review/n24175">Renault Megane E-Tech Electric review</a>.&nbsp;

Read on over the next few pages of this review and we’ll tell you how the&nbsp;Renault Megane stacks up against the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/leon/hatchback/review/n89">Seat Leon</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/hatchback/review/n39">Skoda Octavia</a>. We'll also tell you what the performance is like, how good the interior quality is, how the running costs add up, which engines and trims we'd recommend and much more.&nbsp;

We have full separate reviews of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/megane-rs/hatchback/review/n17168">Renault Megane RS</a>&nbsp;hot hatch variant&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/megane/estate/review/n17231">Renault Megane Sport Tourer</a> fast estate&nbsp;if those are more to your taste.

Whichever make and model of car you decide to buy, make sure you check out the potential savings available without haggling by using our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying service</a>. It's a good place to find the cheapest current&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/renault/megane/hatchback/deals">Renault Megane deals</a>.

The Renault Megane driver's seat feels quite low to the floor and the pedals are nearer to you than is ideal, so if you're tall, you&nbsp;have more bend in your knees than in other cars. The steering has decent rake and reach adjustment, and the driver gets lumbar and seat-height adjustment as standard.

Visibility is fine looking forwards because of the&nbsp;relatively narrow windscreen pillars, but when you look over your shoulder to reverse, the&nbsp;thick rear pillars block some of your view. Front and rear parking sensors come as standard, but you’ll need to go up to an R.S. Line model to get a reversing camera.

The Megane is pleasingly&nbsp;finished inside, with upper dashboard material that's soft to the touch and looks smart. You also get funky ambient lighting that looks swish at night and configurable digital instruments as standard.

The dashboard layout is generally well conceived so the switches fall easily to hand. You have to delve into the infotainment screen every time you want to adjust the ventilation fan speed, which is a shame, but there are separate controls for adjusting the temperature easily.

A 7.0in touchscreen in landscape orientation comes as standard with Iconic trim. That's&nbsp;on the small side by modern standards, but it’s mounted high on the dash and the displays are clear and easy to read. If you step up to R.S. Line trim, you get a larger 9.3in touchscreen in a portrait layout (you can add it to Iconic if you pay extra for the Technology Pack).

Regardless of which screen size&nbsp;you get, the menus take some familiarising to fathom, but they’re still pretty easy to use, responsive and offer clear graphics.&nbsp;Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard so you can mirror your smartphone.

Ultimately we found the infotainment system in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/hatchback/review/n39">Skoda Octavia</a> a little more intuitive, with sharper graphics.&nbsp;

R.S. Line trim replaces the standard front seats with sports seats that feature blue stitching. For some, the low seats will make getting in and out more difficult, and they seem pretty unnecessary as the car will have the same performance and suspension as with Iconic trim&nbsp;anyway.

Hatchback

Hatchbacks, SUVs, fast cars, electric cars: Renault makes them all, in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it has a line-up designed to tempt pretty much everyone.

From the roadside, the standout feature of them all is the design, with its cars now having a distinctive look that has won the firm a legion of fans for its flair and charm.

To drive and to own, the line-up is typically decent rather than outstanding. Best of the cars when they are rated against rivals are the Kadjar SUV, the fast RS models and the electric Zoe.

With new and used pricing also keen – and Target Price discounts through our New Car Buying marketplace usually more generous than most – there is the opportunity to negotiate an appealing price.

RENAULT

MEGANE

Well equipped with lots of safety kit, but it's only so-so to drive, and is not&nbsp;as practical as the best family cars

The Renault Megane doesn’t offer as much front leg or head room as the best in the class, but there’s still enough space for a six-footer to fit in with ease.

The driver and front-seat passenger get lots of storage options, including decent door bins that are each big enough for a&nbsp;drink bottle. The door bins are carpeted to stop items rattling around.

You also get two cup holders in the centre console, a cubby under the front armrest, and another cubby below the steering wheel. The tray in front of the gearlever has USB and 12v sockets, so it's handy for charging&nbsp;your phone.

Rear passengers get a couple of small door bins, map pockets on the rear of the front seats and two cup holders. Rear-seat space, though, is disappointing compared with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/leon/hatchback/review/n89">Seat Leon</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/hatchback/review/n39">Skoda Octavia</a>. Leg room is tight if you&nbsp;sit behind someone tall, and sitting three abreast across the rear bench is a squeeze in terms of shoulder and head room for larger adults.

The boot is big enough to take a couple of buggies or several large shopping bags, but it's not as big as the class best. At 308 litres, it’s quite a chunk smaller than the 473-litre capacity you used to get with non-PHEV versions of the Megane.&nbsp;

Other downsides include a high internal load lip and wide rear bumper that are awkward to lift heavy items over, and there's no dual-height adjustable boot floor. Folding the 60/40-split folding rear seats also leaves a sizeable step in the extended load bay.

The Renault Megane is well equipped and there are clear benefits to be had from owning a plug-in hybrid as a company car, but for similar money you have a choice of other rivals that are more practical, nicer inside and better to drive.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of practical space </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>A comfortable ride </li> <li>A healthy equipment list </li> <li>Quality materials and thoughtful touches inside </li> <li>Rock-solid reliability</li></ul>

Family cars arguably have the toughest brief of all: they have to be good at pretty much everything. They’re used as the daily drive, on the school run or work commute (often both), and have to be able to cope with a family’s clutter on weekends and holidays.

The Skoda Scala is a relative newcomer, but it's&nbsp;already carved out a name for itself in this segment.&nbsp;If you're looking for a moderately priced car that combines a supple ride, neat handling, a spacious interior and a capacious boot&nbsp;it's well worth a look.&nbsp;Alternatively, if you're looking for entertaining handling then the&nbsp;BMW 1 Series may well be for you. It's great to drive, rides well&nbsp;and also comes with a top-notch interior, featuring one of our very favourite infotainment systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Toyota Corolla&nbsp;is another great choice. This latest version of one of the world's best-selling cars of all time can be had with a choice of two different petrol-electric hybrid engines, both of which should mean&nbsp;potentially lower fuel bills. It's comfortable, well equipped and should be very reliable, too.&nbsp;

Family

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Usefully long electric-only range</li> <li>Exceedingly frugal</li> <li>Cheap company car tax rates</li> <li>Smooth switching between electric and petrol power</li></ul>

If you're not ready to commit to a fully electric vehicle&nbsp;but have the capacity to charge your car at home or at work, a plug-in hybrid could be the perfect compromise. Electric batteries paired with a petrol or diesel&nbsp;engine means you'll never be left short of charge&nbsp;but can capitalise on cheap running costs, thanks to a surprisingly long electric-only range.

There's plenty of choice, too, whether you're after a sporty saloon like the BMW 3 Series, the 330e variant of which providing up to 36 miles of electric-only driving on a full charge, or a large load-lugging large SUV, including the Volvo XC90 T8, which claims an extraordinary&nbsp;113mpg.

Throw in competent handling and driving prowess, despite the added weight of the electric batteries, and a plug-in hybrid&nbsp;makes a compelling case for frugal buyers.&nbsp;

Plug-in hybrid

Renault Megane review

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Read review covering Renault Megane boot space, size and dimensions, front and rear seat comfort by the expert What Car? test team.

The Renault Megane doesn’t offer as much front leg or head room as the best in the class, but there’s still enough space for a six-footer to fit in with ease.,The driver and front-seat passenger get lots of storage options, including decent door bins that are each big enough for a drink bottle. The door bins are carpeted to stop items rattling around.,You also get two cup holders in the centre console, a cubby under the front armrest, and another cubby below the steering wheel. The tray in front of the gearlever has USB and 12v sockets, so it's handy for charging your phone.Rear passengers get a couple of small door bins, map pockets on the rear of the front seats and two cup holders. Rear-seat space, though, is disappointing compared with the Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia. Leg room is tight if you sit behind someone tall, and sitting three abreast across the rear bench is a squeeze in terms of shoulder and head room for larger adults.The boot is big enough to take a couple of buggies or several large shopping bags, but it's not as big as the class best. At 308 litres, it’s quite a chunk smaller than the 473-litre capacity you used to get with non-PHEV versions of the Megane. ,Other downsides include a high internal load lip and wide rear bumper that are awkward to lift heavy items over, and there's no dual-height adjustable boot floor. Folding the 60/40-split folding rear seats also leaves a sizeable step in the extended load bay.,

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