04/11/08

• Price19,045
• We like...Looks, ride, handling
• We don't...Steering needs to be sharper

Pretty coupe will win admiring stares when it reaches the UK next year. But what's it like to drive? Find out here If you buy cars more for looks than anything else, one glimpse of the Megane coupe will seal the deal. But there’s more to this three-door version of the new Megane hatch than a handsome face.

It’s off to a good start with its engines, too. Renault makes some crackers and the 180bhp petrol turbo in our test car is among them. While it’s no match for the 2.0 petrol turbo in this car’s keenest rival, the Volkswagen Scirocco, it’s strong and flexible, reasonably economical and moderate in its CO2 emissions. And, unless you really go for it, it’s quiet and civilised, too.

Where the current Megane 3dr is very similar to the 5dr, this new one is very different. It shares nose, and front wings with its brother-car, but pretty much all other body panels are unique, so there’s a handsomely sweeping tail with four box-shaped rear lamps.

It also sits noticeably closer to the road. And, if you clamber from one to the other, you’ll clock a lower, more sporty seating position. But this is no cramped-in car with a tiny boot. Instead there’s good luggage space in a boxy boot, while the big tailgate makes loading a doddle. The front chairs are big and supportive, while the rear ones are lifted straight from the five-door Megane, and – rare for a coupe, this – there’s space and belts enough for three passengers.

The dash is the same as other Meganes but it’s given a sporty look, with a textured metal insert across the passenger’s side of the one we drove. A digital speedo teams with a regular, gauge-and-pointer rev counter.

As soon as it turns a wheel, you recognise that the coupe is very different from the hatchback. Although they use the same suspension and steering, the coupe rides more firmly and feels better connected to the road. It’s still comfortable, but there’s less body movement as it travels across bumps.

And there’s plenty of feeling from the steering as you take a curve, making it an easier car to drive confidently. It corners well and flatly. The wheel dsn’t feel that precise around the dead-ahead: these aren’t quite the darty responses of a full-on sports car. Think of it rather as a great car to drive smoothly and fast over long distances and you’ll not be disappointed.

Is it good value? Depends on whether you think of it as a three-door Megane or as a distinct and separate model. Take it as the former and the prices look steep. The cheapest one, packing a 1.6, 110bhp engine is £400 dearer than the equivalent 5dr hatchback. And the most powerful, as tested here in Privilege trim, is £19,045. That sounds expensive, yet it is cheaper to buy than a similar Scirocco.

But while we’d expect the VW to hang on to a sensible chunk of its value with time and use, Renaults have a habit of shedding value rapidly. So, over time, the Scirocco may prove a wiser home for your cash. Viewed from another angle, we’d expect the Megane to make a great second-hand buy, if you can wait a year or two.

If you can’t there’s plenty about this new model to enjoy. For us, Renault’s got its looks right and, we suspect, that may be more than half the battle.

View and buy new and used Renault Meganes at motors.co.uk

• Engines2.0
• Power180bhp
• 0-60 mph7.7sec
• Economy37.2mpg
• CO2g/km178
• Insurance groups
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags8
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: