The main strength of the new Renault Megane Sport Tourer is that it manages to achieve great looks without compromising practicality in any way whatsoever.
The Mégane Sport Tourer features identical frontal styling to that of the hatchback version, including the characteristic lines that swoop down from the windscreen pillars to converge on the logo at the centre of the bonnet. The slope of the roofline, the steeply raked rear screen and the elongated, rearward-sweeping side windows give this car an elegant, racy profile, and the longitudinal roof bars set off these fluid lines.
The extensive range of engines available illustrates the ongoing work Renault continues to put in to ensure that its customers profit from the market’s best trade-off between performance and fuel consumption, as well as lower running and maintenance costs and longer servicing intervals. The Mégane Sport Tourer is available with a wide choice of power plants, including three diesel engines that boast CO2 emissions of less than or equal to 120g/km and five petrol engines, which all figure among the best in their class.
In the cabin, the accent has been on the durability and quality of the materials, soft touch plastics line all of the upper cabin and the door trims and steering wheel, helping to make driving a relaxed affair. Thanks to its generous dimensions and elegant, dynamic styling, the car exudes sporting appeal without detracting in any way from its user-friendliness or carrying capacity, which can be adapted to suit a broad variety of uses. Providing a boot volume of 524 litres (up to parcel shelf) ranks it among the best in its segment. Total carrying capacity can be extended up to 1,595 litres with the rear seats fully folded, while access to the boot is facilitated by its low sill height: 561mm, the lowest in its class.
The driver, meanwhile, will appreciate the comfortable, practical driving environment. Front elbowroom figures among the segment’s best at 1,476mm, and the height-adjustable driver’s seat travels through a segment-topping 70mm.
The Mégane Sport Tourer range features a choice of two GPS navigation systems and a long list of high-tech equipment. The first, Carminat TomTom®, is a fully integrated navigation system and is ready to run as soon as the car starts.
It delivers all the functions expected of a top navigation system, including: precise, detailed maps, a large 5.8-inch screen, bird view display and reliable guidance complete with traffic information, alternative routes, speed restrictions, speed camera location alerts and a wide range of customisable parameters.
With a raft of equipment, most of which is more commonly associated with the next segment up: Renault Hands Free Card with automatic central locking when the driver walks away from the car, automatic handbrake, dual-zone automatic climate control with three temperature adjustment modes (Soft-Auto-Fast), directional bi-Xenon headlamps, innovative combined digital/analogue instrument display.
New colour-coded interface for the cruise control with speed limiter, customisation of the activation and adjustment of certain functions (daytime running lights, volume of audible parking proximity sensor warning), 3D Sound by Arkamys® audio system, connectivity: standard RCA socket and optional TunePoint system (USB and jack connections).
Drive along a challenging road and the Sport Tourer might not be a sports car, but it does acquit itself well. The steering is linear and precise and there is a good compromise between dynamics and comfort. Despite being supple, with good ride quality, the Megane Sport Tourer remains almost flat through bends and has plenty of grip. The fact the Sport Tourer also has an appealing design, decent handling and a wide range of engines helps its make a strong case against the opposition.
