News: Renault ditches Scenic, launches XMOD

Renault has decided to stop making the Scenic. That might sound like a bit of a shock, but hang on, the devil is in the detail. The seven-seat Grand Scenic will continue on as one of Europe's best-selling medium-sized MPVs, but the five-seat Scenic is now going to be dropped, and replaced by a new model called the Scenic XMOD. 

News: Renault's Captur wants to box the Juke

They may be part of the same group, and even share a chassis, but the new Renault Captur is most definitely muscling in on the Nissan Juke's compact SUV territory.

Teased earlier this week and now revealed here in full, the Captur takes both chassis and styling cues from the just-launched new Clio but bulks everything up into a much more muscular shape. Is it just us or are there hints of the old Avantime in the overall shape and stance? Maybe just us. Whatever, it's a handsome beast and that is just as true on the inside, where again Clio elements have been taken, put on a bit of muscle and are looking pretty darned good.

Renault is claiming best in class fuel economy and the two key engines will be the TCe three-cylinder petrol turbo and the long serving 1.5 dCi diesel, an engine which should see the Captur's emissions fall as low as 96g/km.

The Clio has already been much praised for its dynamic performance, so we can hope that the Captur will prove as invigorating to drive. Will the fact that it's shorter (slightly) the the Juke compromise interior space too much though? We'll find out when the Captur makes its public debut at the Geneva motor show.

Between this the and Peugeot 2008, it's looking like a good year for compact French SUVs...

News: Renault attmepts to, ahem, Captur our attention

Teasing is usually a very good way to get people's attention. Well, it works in the school playground anyway, and Renault is obviously keen on getting our attention with this teaser image of the new Captur compact crossover.

Renault hasn't dipped its toes in the SUV world since the pretty disastrous debut in 2008 of the Koleos, a car about which the less said, the better. This new Captur should be a beast of a very different feather though, and while the image above may be cropped and monkeyed with, you can easily see the influence of the handsome new Clio shining through.

Oddly, the Captur will share a chassis with one of its most important rivals, the Nissan Juke, and will come to the market with the familiar 1.5 and 1.6 dCi diesel engines and the new three-cylinder turbo 900cc petrol TCe units too.

We'll get more details, and images, of the Captur at the end of this week, and it will get its full public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

News: Cork & Dublin airports go electric

Cork and Dublin Airports have gone electric for their latest fleet purchase as part of the DAA’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.


The DAA (Dublin Airport Authority) has purchased nine electric Renault Kangoo mini-vans for use at Dublin and Cork airports, making the company one of the largest electric fleet operators in the country. DAA’s decision to opt for the nine electric vehicles will result in CO2 savings of more than 200,000kg over the lifetime of the vehicles, which is equivalent to planting more than 6,000 trees.
“With this investment, DAA has already become one of Ireland’s leading operators of electric vehicles, and we look forward to significantly expanding our electric fleet over the coming years,” said DAA’s Head of Sustainability, Mary Coveney.

DAA’s decision to opt for electric vehicles followed its participation in a programme supported by ESB ecars, which allowed the company to test drive a Kangoo Z.E. for a month to check its capabilities in a major international airport.

“The trial helped us build confidence throughout the organisation that buying electric vehicles wasn’t just good for the environment, but also made sense from an operational perspective,” said Ms Coveney. “Electric vehicles are perfect for an airport environment, as they have a range of 120km and will always be close to a main charging point.”

The new electric vehicles will be used on a daily basis in both airside and landside locations by DAA maintenance crews, and staff from its car park and terminal services departments.

Patrick Magee, Renault Ireland Sales & Network Director said he was delighted that DAA had chosen the Renault Kangoo Z.E. for its new electric fleet.

“The Kangoo Z.E. has been a very popular choice for both public and private businesses looking to reduce costs whilst helping the environment and it’s great to see the DAA take up the electric challenge,” Mr Magee said. “Renault is the only manufacturer to introduce a range of 100% electric vehicles, from the Kangoo Z.E. to the Fluence  Z.E. Saloon, the Twizy and the stylish compact hatch the ZOE which will both be launched in 2013”.

News: Renault & Caterham team up to revive Alpine

Renault is going ahead with its revival of the classic Alpine sports car brand, and it's bringing in sports car specialists (and burgeoning F1 team) Caterham to help it out.

The Alpines which came from the original factory in the French seaside town of Dieppe were rallying legends back in the seventies, especially the achingly pretty A110 (pictured, bottom) which won the Monte Carlo Rally. The Alpine team was also instrumental in Renault's 1978 Le Mans 24hrs win, even though by then, the process to turn independent Alpine into wholly-Renault-owned RenaultSport had already begun.

Alpine's days as a road car maker ended in the mid-nineties when the little-seen A610, a rival for the Porsche 911, went out of production and the brand has been dormant since, even though its Dieppe home-base has still been busy with RenaultSport projects, including the much-loved hot versions of the Clio and Megane.

Now though, the Alpine badge is going to be revived for a series of road cars, which Renault teased earlier this year with a concept, based on the Dezir sports car concept (above). And to help it get future Alpines designed and into production, Renault has brought Caterham on board.

Caterham is well known to motoring enthusiasts as the makers of the long-lived Caterham 7 sports car, a no-frills, back-to-basics two-seater that generally regarded as one of the best-to-drive, and fastest, cars around. The two companies, Renault and Caterham, already have a connection as Caterham's Formula One team uses Renault F1 engines. Caterham was bought last year by Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, who owns the Air Asia airline and who brought the Lotus name back into Formula One three years ago, only to buy up Caterham following a gruelling court battle that saw Lotus Cars take the name back off him. Now, Caterham doesn't just have its small sports car factory and its F1 team, it also has CTI, Caterham Technologies International, which is the bit that Renault is interested in – CTI's expertise in low-volume designs and carbon-fibre construction is just the ticket to get Alpine back on the road.

So what can we expect? Well, Alpine's traditions are based around mid-or-rear-engined sports cars, using relatively simple, low-powered (compared to some of the competition) Renault engines and majoring on light weight and agility. The hefty-looking concept version, which was based around the engine and chassis of a Megane race car, will likely not make it through to production.

“This innovative partnership with Caterham embodies a longstanding ambition: the creation of a sports car with the Alpine DNA. It carries both opportunities for the Dieppe plant and the development of its historic know-how" said Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault.

“I have not felt as excited about a new venture since I launched AirAsia in 2001 and I want to thank Carlos Ghosn and Carlos Tavares and everyone in our new Renault family for having the belief in Caterham Group to create this partnership" said Tony Fernandes. "Many people doubted us 11 years ago when we launched our airline and I am sure that there will be doubters again this time, but we will not fail your trust. We know the markets we are going into and, particularly in my playground in Asia, there is a huge opportunity to replicate the AirAsia model and give consumers access to exciting, affordable products that marry our interests in F1 and technology and help make their dreams come true.”

News: New Renault Clio gets Irish launch

Renault has launched its hugely significant fourth-generation Clio on the Irish market, with prices starting from €14,990 for the most basic 1.2-litre petrol model.
Far from being a stripped-out base version though, and in keeping with Renault’s recent reputation for providing well-equipped models versus the competition, it benefits from a 4x20W radio with Bluetooth and USB connection, Bass Reflex system (enhanced speaker sound quality), driver/passenger/ front side airbags, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, daytime running lights, ESC, Hill Start Assist, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, electric front windows and door mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, plus cruise control and speed limiter.
If you want a Band A Clio though (the 1.2 is a Band B car) then you'll have to go for either the familiar, but updated, 1.5 dCi diesel (only 83g/km, without a hybrid battery in sight) or the all-new, high tech 900cc turbo petrol, which boasts 105g/km of Co2 and 60-odd-mpg.

Depending on spec, the new Clio is the first car to get Renault's new R-Link system, which uses a 7-inch touchscreen to control the infotainment systems, provide internet access on the go (not for the driver, natch) and has an integrated TomTom navigation system and a high-end Arkamys sound system.

The style of the new Clio is certainly eye-catching, and it's the first production Renault to get the new styling language previewed by the Dezir concept car. “Simple, sensuous and warm: these are the three words that sum up the design of Clio – just like that of DeZir. This is no accident, for both these vehicles were designed by the same team. As a five-door hatchback with the coupé profile of a three-door, New Clio is all about passion. And thanks to the skills of our engineering teams, it has remained faithful to our original vision” said Antony Villain, Director, Exterior Design Studio.

Julien Lelorrain, marketing director of Renault Ireland told us that “New Clio embodies the renewal of Renault Design as part of an approach based on sensuality and warmth.  New Clio allies a head turning design, come with economical engines, highest level of safety with 5 stars Euro Ncap and yet at very affordable price starting from €14990 or €149 per month with Renault Finance for a rather well equipped Expression Trim level. New Clio is the perfect car for those looking for a beautiful yet affordable car."

Road Test: Renault Scenic 1.6 dCi Bose Edition

Price as tested: €32,390

+ Looks good, spacious, comfy, punchy, cracking stereo
– Quite pricey, mushy steering
= Proves that MPVs don’t have to be a fun-free zone



You know that old cliche about buying a people carrier being the equivalent of social death? An admission that your youth is gone and your virility has crumbled to dust? I have felt the icy hand of that concept close to the hairs on the back of my neck. Once, a decade or more ago, I found my (still single and child-less) self in the car park of a major out of town driving centre driving a large, practical, mumsy people carrier. You should have heard the silent scream that went off in my head. It was quite something.

These days, things have changed somewhat. I’ve changed for a start. Married. Two kids. House in the ‘burbs. I can see now the appeal, even the necessity of a people carrier. People carriers have changed too. The Ford S-Max proved that a tall roof and seven seats was not inimical to driving enjoyment and others have at least attempted to follow suit.

And when the Renault Scenic Bose Edition rocked up on my driveway, it seemed to be almost purpose designed to appeal to me. With white coachwork set off by gorgeous (and faintly seventies in style) alloy wheels, the Scenic was looking pretty tasty for Soccer Mom transport. And that badge on the flank; Bose. Now, techie geek that I am, I know at first hand that no-one, and I do mean no-one, makes stereos quite like Bose. They may not have the whizz-bang design elements of some other hi-fis, but those deceptively simple grey and white boxes can provide sound like nothing else. Rich, warm, crisp, perfect. A family motor with that kind of sound system can really tickle my fancy.

Before we get to that though, there’s the small matter of the engine to deal with. Renault’s old range-topping 1.9 dCi diesel is now dead and it’s been replaced by this all-new 1.6-litre unit which matches the outgoing one for power with 130bhp yet manages just 114g/km on the Co2 emissions cycle and claims an average of 4.4-litres per 100km fuel consumption. Now, as is so often the case, that claim is pure bunkum and I managed to eke around 6.0-litres per 100km out of it, but that’s still not bad considering that a lot of that mileage was four-up with luggage and much of it was on the motorway. It’s also reasonably refined (especially at cruising speed, less so at low speeds) and pulls strongly. 0-100kmh in 11secs doesn’t sound too brisk, but it feels punchier than that through the gears.

Inside, thanks to the Bose Edition upgrades, the Scenic is looking better than ever before. The TFT digital instrument display is rather nice, and you can theoretically customise the display to your taste. I say theoretically because I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to do it. My six year old son did it in an instant, so I may hire him out as an aid to befuddled Scenic owners.

The seats, wrapped in an enticing mix of black leather and Alcantara, are really lovely, firmly supportive on a long run but with just enough of that classic Renault squidge to feel luxurious. Space is decent, but not exceptional. Kids will be more than happy in the middle row, but bulky child seats will eat quickly into the available space and adults will find the seats themselves a touch narrow. It’s a common failing amongst compact seven-seat MPVs, but it’s partly compensated for by a boot that’s a massive 564-litres if you keep the third-row seats folded into the floor. That’s one thing I do love about MPVs; that pleasant feeling of not having to plan the packing up. Just fling everything into the boot with gay abandon.

To drive, the Scenic is as it ever was; not great but not bad either. On first re-acquaintance, it still has the mushy steering and generous roll angles that it’s always had. Such things are anathema to the driving enthusiast, of course, but the payoff is a ride quality that soaks up all but the very worst excesses of Irish roads, so it’s an acceptable trade-off. Better yet, when the kids are asleep and your wife’s not paying attention, you’ll find that you can push through the mush and get the Scenic a bit more up and at ‘em in the corners. Do that, and you’ll find plenty of front end bite and also that the roll stops and holds pretty quickly. Once learned you’ll find that the Scenic can be hustled along quite nicely.

Now for the Bose bit. As far as I can tell, Bose’s contribution to the Scenic is just the front speakers. There were no Bose logos on the rear ones, and no indication that Bose has been tinkering with the internals of the standard-fit Renault stereo. Now, my standard stereo test (John Barry’s theme from Zulu, played LOUD) showed that the Scenic’s sound system is pretty terrific, but I had been expecting awesome. Perhaps the boomy, echo-y surrounds of a big monobox shape are just too much for even Bose to overcome? Or maybe the budget didn’t allow more than a few simple tweaks to the sound. Whatever, it’s still head and shoulders above a standard car stereo, just not quite the enveloping experience I had been hoping for.

Speaking of budgets, your own will have to be pretty generous. Clocking in at €32k (there is a cheaper 1.5 dCi Bose edition) makes the Scenic Bose pretty pricey for a family car. Far be it from me to make assumptions about other families’ finances, but I certainly couldn’t afford the repayments on that.

Which is a shame as the Scenic Bose strikes just about the ideal family car balance. It’s got all the big, spacious, comfy and practical stuff down pat. It’s decently economical and rides well. Yet, in the precise spec of our test car, it looked pretty cool, had an inviting interior, a kick-ass stereo and a modicum of driving fun in its chassis. Thank you, Renault, for proving that family motoring really can be a phrase, not a sentence. Just make it a bit more affordable next time, eh?


Renault Grand Scenic 1.6 dCi Bose Edition
Price: €32,390
Range price: €23,990 to €32,390
Capacity: 1,598cc
Power: 130bhp
Torque: 320Nm
Top speed: 183kmh
0-100kmh: 11.1sec
Economy: 4.4-100km (62mpg)
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Tax Band: A. €160 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 91% adult, 76% child, 42% pedestrian, 99% safety assist

Road Test: Renault Megane RS Trophy

Price as tested: €39,000 (approx)

+ Sublime chassis, massive poke, price
– Cheap cabin fittings, needs a racetrack to fully exploit
= Best hot hatch of the year. Possibly ever



It should all be bang-crash-wallop. Stuffing a massively powerful engine under the bonnet of a family hatchback, and then lowering and stiffening it while garnishing it with a side order of tyres so low in profile that they resemble watch straps should be a recipe for excitement tinged with acute discomfort.

But the Renault Megane RS Trophy is simply not like that, and that is a verdict drawn from driving it on the most challenging, bumpy and poorly maintained road surfaces that Ireland has to offer.

Renault has a long and glittering career of producing the finest hot hatches behind it, from the mousy-looking R19 16v through the fabulous Clio Williams and up to recent gems like the current Clio RS 200 and the previous generation Megane R.26. But the Megane Trophy could yet turn out to be the shiniest gem of the lot. It uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder engine with 265bhp and 360Nm of torque which is, remarkably, more efficient in both consumption and emissions (claimed 8.2-litres per 100km and 190g/km of Co2) than its less powerful predecessor.

What had me assuming that it would be a desperately uncompromising and uncomfortable track-day special was the fact that it holds the production car lap record at the Nurburgring. Cars tweaked for the ‘Ring tend not to do so well when bumps, cambers and other traffic are introduced to the equation. IN fact cars tweaked at and for the ‘Rinfg tend to annoy me an utterly astonishing amount by, on bumpy proper roads, being undriveable, harsh-riding dens of awfulness that I just can’t wait to get out of. The Trophy proved me so, so wrong though.

Climb aboard and you get the standard Megane cabin (which is fine if nothing more) upgraded with fabulous Recaro bucket seats which hug without squeezing. The rev counter is, Ferrari style, painted bright yellow and there’s a plaque on the centre console informing that this particular car is number 21 in the series. It’s comfy and I, someone who likes the occasional almod crossiant, really appreciated the extra bit of space and give in the buckets. Far too many sports seats are just constrictive and uncomfortable. Like all Meganes, space in the back is good and the boot is a decent size too. Do you care? Thought not. On with the driving experience...

The steering, although short on real feedback, is beautifully weighted and positive and as soon as the Trophy is rolling just gives you this terrific feeling of meatiness and control. We may have lost true road feel in the switch from hydrualic to electric power steering but RenaultSport has proven with this rack that you can still mkae fake feel good.

The ride, even with those 35-section 235 Bridgestones on 19” wheels, feels remarkably supple. On the motorway, with cruise engaged, the Megane is a refined and comfortable cruiser. This isn’t supposed to be in the script.

Find a road with more twists and it really comes to life. Front grip is simply remarkable, allowing you to carry speed safely through all but the tightest corners, while that steering weight gives you something to lean against as you choose your line. The Brembo brakes are strong and delay the onset of anti-lock remarkably well, even on slippery surfaces, but ultimately never give you that I’ve-just-hit-a-brick-wall that the best performance car brakes give you. Pity that and a pity too that the silly drilled metal pedals are too slippy and act as a bit of a confidence drain.
What brings back the confidence is the Megane’s poise. The way it reacts to direction changes is utterly brilliant. I have a quiet stretch of road to test such things (no, I’m not telling you where it is) and never have I driven anything that deals quite so will with a particular bit of off-camber approach, sudden direction-change tarmac as the Trophy.

 That 6.0sec 0-100kmh time allows you to sprint away from tight junctions, with the tractions control juddering away to keep the front tyres in play.

But it’s the ride that really impresses. It’s certainly not soft, but it feels remarkably well tuned for Irish roads, shrugging off lumps and scars on the road with a relaxed gait, while still giving you the sort of iron-fisted body control that you really need to be able to enjoy a good drive. Honestly, I don’t know how Renault has managed to get such a fast car to be so comfy. Witchcraft, perhaps?

The only slight let down is, surprisingly, the engine itself. Yes it’s powerful, and makes a nice roar at the top end, but it’s only at that top end that you really feel the power. That big turbo only really starts puffing at 4.500rpm and it’s all over at 6,000rpm.  It’s not slow below the 4,500rpm mark, far from it, but you only get the big guns firing once you stretch it past this point and by that time, you’re already going so quickly that, on the public road, you’re not really going to stretch it any farther. Bigger fireworks lower down the rev range, even if they compromised ultimate grunt, would make the Trophy a little more enjoyably unruly. The noise is good, a bassy bellow that encourages further listening, but again it’s all happening in the final 1,000rpm. Lower down, the refinement is welcome on a long journey but you do crave a bit more aural entertainment.

But the price. Renault Ireland has still to set a final price for the Trophy, but circa €39,000 makes it one of the performance bargains of the decade. Honestly. The Megane Trophy is so useable, so easy to get the best from, so biddable and such gloriously good fun to drive that you really are talking about buying cars costing three, four even five times as much before you’re into something that you can honestly say is a quantifiably faster way to cover tarmac miles. If Renault had added €20k to the price, we’d still have called it good. As it is, barely any more expensive than a specced up Golf GTI, it is an utter legend.

Facts & Figures:
Renault Megane RS Trophy
Price as tested: €39,000 (approx)
Price range: €18,890 to €39,000 (approx)
Capacity: 1,998cc
Power: 265bhp
Torque: 360Nm
Top speed: 254kmh
0-100kmh: 6.0sec
Economy: 8.2l-100km (34.8mpg)
CO2 emissions: 190g/km
Road Tax Band: E €630
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 2-star pedestrian

Road Test: Renault Clio RS Gordini

Price as tested: €28,000 (approx)

+ Scalpel-sharp chassis and steering, characterful engine
– Silly paint job, high Co2
= A purist’s hot hatch

Quite why Renault has chosen to revive the old Gordini name for its hot hatch range is a little baffling, to me at least. OK, so there’s the connection with the classic R8 Gordini, some sixties Le Mans cars and, not least, the original fifties Gordini F1 team. But, looking back at Gordini’s F1 record, it’s hard to ignore that aside from a couple of thirds for legendary charger Jean Behra, the team’s record was one of lower placings and retirements. Which is why I’m puzzled. After all, Renault already has the RenaultSport brand, which has won mulitple F1 world championships as both an engine maker and a team, has won the Le Mans 24hrs and the Monte Carlo rally. So why go to the bother of resurrecting a racing name that few have ever heard of?

Especially when, applied to the Clio 200 RS, the Gordini name seems to signify little more than some sparkly blue paint, some silly stripes and some blue inserts in the cabin. Amedee Gordini’s signature is conspicuous by its absence and there are no mechanical changes to the chassis or engine.

Then again, there didn’t need to be. The Clio RS has been THE reference small hot hatch for some years now, providing the sort of razor sharp thrills that once seemed to have been outlawed, or at least forgotten about. And while I’d aver that that crown has slipped a little (we’ll come to more of that in a minute) this is still a properly thrilling little car to drive.

It is, in a way, quite old-fashioned. There are no turbos here, no clever downsizing. Just a big (2.0-litre, with 200bhp and 215Nm of torque) engine stuffed into a relatively small, light car. There are hot camshafts, improved breathing and all the classic techniques for getting more grunt out of a simple engine.

That lack (if that’s the right word) of a turbo means that the Clio RS is quite unforgiving. There’s enough torque to pootle around happily at low speeds, and the gearing is so short that even sixth on the wonderfully notchy-feeling gearbox won’t bog down around town. No, if you want to feel what the Clio is really capable of, you have to rev it. By 3,00rpm it’s starting to move, and starting to fart angrily down the exhaust too. By 4,500 that fart has grown in intensity and is now really roaring. But you sense that there’s still more, much more, to come. And you’re right. Get the needle moving about 5,000rpm, get the engine onto the cam properly and things really start to move. By now the Clio is bursting with energy, ripping through its last 3,000rpm to the redline and you’re seriously moving. So grab another gear, drop back down the rev range and begin again. 0-100kmh is done in 6.9secs, should you wish.

The problem is, and this is where the Clio starts to wobble a little atop its throne, is that while having such a highly tuned, high-revving engine is wonderful, it does bring with it some limitations. The chief one of which is that you have to drive it like you’re in your own personal Le Mans to get the most out of it, which is hardly a practical, or even law abiding, state of affairs. Its turbocharged rivals may not have the true, spine-tingling feel of the Clio at high rpm, but their torquey, low-down oomph is more suited to the quick-thrill-and-then-relax driving style so necessary in these heavily regulated times.

It doesn’t do the running costs any favour either. Renault claims 8.2-litres per 100km on average, we managed 10.1l/100km, thanks to some (ahem) enthusiastic driving. The Co2 figure of 196g/km doesn’t look to clever either, especially when you consider that a Mini Cooper S Works manages 164g/km.

But where the Clio really starts to make up for all this is when you get it on to a twisty road. Now, a small, light car with big wheels and low profile tyres is hardly going to prove a perfect match for Irish back roads, and so it proves as the Clio hops and skips its way along. But the way this thing steers is where the real gold is to be found. That steering is just alive, flowing with information and perfect weighting, in an era when even the best supercars have numb, over-assisted tillers. There is still that slight whiff of unnatural self-centering, but that apart, this is not so much a car as a tool for deconstructing the geometry of the road builder’s art. Tightening apexes, sudden changes of direction, long, fast sweepers; all are a playground for the Clio’s talents.

The rest of the chassis backs that up. You’d have to be clinically insane to be going fast enough to get it to slide or slip, but there is still a sense of adjustability. It’s not just a point and squirt car. Once you get into the meat of a corner, you’re not just waiting for the apex to come and go before opening the throttle again. The Clio gives you options. Tighten the line to give oncoming traffic a wider berth. Let the nose run a little wide to avoid an errant tree root. Or just stick to your chosen line as if the tyres were covered in PrittStick and blast out the other side with a massive grin on your face.

The rest of the Clio fits neatly into the classic hot hatch playbook. Spacious cabin, comfy seats that support without squeezing too hard (even if the driving position is all over the place). A decent boot and a sense of decent build quality, even if some of the materials used simply don’t look or feel up to the task.

I have to admit to a slight, lingering sense of disappointment about the Clio Gordini too. It’s not the colour scheme, with its silly stripes (all car makers succumb, sooner or later, to such needless theatrics). It’s not the fact that you have to wring the engine so hard to truly experience its magic. It’s not the jiggly ride or the offset pedals. It’s actually a comparison to its bigger brother. The Megane RS Trophy (full road test HERE) is only around €10,000 more expensive. I say only, but there is a serious point here. Whereas the Clio stands in comparison to the likes of the Citroen DS3 Racing, the VW Polo GTI and the upcoming Ford Fiesta ST, the Megane is something else again. It is a spacious, comfy, practical hot hatch that bears serious comparison with seven-figure supercars in its ability to cover ground. It is on another planet entirely.

So while I loved driving the Clio, and would recommend it as a tonic for the ills of the modern motoring world, perhaps I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have driven its bigger brother first.


Facts & Figures

Renault Clio Gordini RS
Price as tested: €28,000 (approx)
Range price: TBC
Capacity: 1,997cc
Power: 201bhp
Torque: 215Nm
Top speed: 225kmh
0-100kmh: 6.9sec
Economy: 8.2l-100km (34.6mpg)
CO2 emissions: 196g/km
VRT Band: F. €1,050 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 1-star pedestrian

Road Test: Renault Megane Coupe. 1.5 dCi GT-Line

Price as tested: €25,000

In brief: The most satisfying Megane yet, with decent poise and lots of toys. Post-scrappage price too high, though.


I must admit I was mildly bemused that the Renault Megane became the best-selling car in Ireland in 2010. Having driven previously, I knew it was a decent car, an OK car, an average car. Not a best-seller in any obvious way, aside from the scrappge-offer price which made it as affordable as a much smaller car, and still stuffed with equipment. Clearly, Irish car buyers buy with the bottom line in mind (although possibly not with depreciation at the forefront).

And I just couldn’t figure it out. Could so many buyers be blinded by price advantage to the likes of the Focus, the Golf, the Astra or the 308? Or was there something that I had missed? Was there a secret Megane trait that I just hadn’t noticed first time out?

No, there wasn’t. I just hadn’t been driving the right version.

This is the right version.

Whether you want to call it GT Line (its pan-European designation) or Irish Edition, the Megane Coupe that I have just stepped out of is, without question, the best version of the current Megane range I have yet driven. Not perfect, nor do I think it yet quite as good as the aforementioned rivals, but now I can at last see what everyone else apparently did.

To start with, the Coupe is the best looking Megane (with the Grand Megane estate a close second and the ill-proportioned five-door hatch a distant, distant third) and the GT line, with its extra body kit and sexy black-surround lights, looks even better. There’s the slight whiff of a Saturday night Halford’s special about it, but on the whole; nice.

Nice inside too, and that’s the first time I’ve been able to say that about any current Megane. Gone is the cheap-and-nasty digital speedo and in comes a decent looking main dial. Gone too (thankfully) are the flat-and-hard-as-a-church-pew seats and in come nicely supportive and comfy buckets. The driving position still isn’t quite right (you have to sit too low down and laid back relative to the steering wheel) but at least you won’t get numb bum after half an hour now.

There are some cabin caveats though. There’s far too much cheap plastic on display, even if the overall quality and fit and finish look and feel reasonably good. And the control system for the TomTom-derived sat-nav is so over-complicated and ill-thought-out that you really do just not bother to use it. I’d rather get lost, thanks. It took me 20 minutes of fiddling just to get my phone to connect to the Bluetooth system.

There is good space in there though, and in spite of that sloping rear roofline, there’s useable room in the back seats too. Certainly kids are comfy back there, and even adults would be OK for a short-ish journey. The boot is a decent size, but the rear styling robs some of the opening when you have the hatch up, meaning that bulky items will go in, but only if you think about it a bit.

To drive, the Megane Coupe GT Line (or Irish Edition etc etc) is... OK. It’s not brilliant, it lacks the fluency of a Focus or the Germanic perfection of a Golf, but it’s good enough to keep its head above water, dynamically speaking.

The steering is well set up. It feels weighty and meaty in your palms, even if there’s no actual proper road feel coming back up from the front tyres. Turn in is quick and reasonably enthusiastic, and even without that proper road feel, you soon get confident enough in the Megane’s responses to enjoy pressing on.

Smooth roads are its forte though. It doesn’t like bumps, especially small, short-wave ripples that really upset the composure and send rumbling shudders up through the bodyshell. Actually, for a supposedly sporty coupe, it’s a good cruiser, ambling along nicely in sixth at 120kmh, with that always-excellent 1.5 dCi diesel engine thrumming away quietly in the background.

You won’t be using much fuel, whatever you do. Even at maximum attack, and with the aircon going, we couldn’t get the Megane’s average fuel consumption above 6.0-litres per 100km, so matching the claimed 4.4-litres per 100km figure shouldn’t be too hard. 114g/km emissions means that, in spite of 110bhp and a hefty 240Nm of torque, you’ll still be firmly in the lowest road tax bracket, even without standard-fit stop-start.

Equipment levels are high too, with that TomTom sat-nav, burnished chrome trim, half-leather seats, unique 17” alloy wheels, climate control and more. And this being a Renault, a five-star EuroNCAP safety rating is merely what you were expecting.

So, finally, I can see what everyone loves about the Megane and how it had managed to climb so high in the Irish sales charts. A tempting scrappage price, and a relentless marketing campaign, certainly drove those sales, but at last, I’ve found a Megane that I’m quite happy to drive.


Facts & Figures

Renault Megane Coupe 1.5 dCi 110 GT Line
Price as tested: €25,000
Price range: €19,490 to €26,500
Capacity: 1,461cc
Power: 110bhp
Torque: 240Nm
Top speed: 190kmh
0-100kmh: 10.5sec
Economy: 4.4l-100km (62.0mpg)
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Road Tax Band: A €104
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 2-star pedestrian

Road Test: Renault Laguna 2.0 dCi Initiale

Price as tested: €27,990

In brief: As comfy and luxurious as a French express should be, but lacking in style both inside and out.


When Gustav Eiffel erected the vast ironwork tower that bears his name it was done with the kind of exacting precision that you would think impossible in the 19th Century. Those vast legs that support the first platform (and indeed the entire structure) could not be more than a half of one degree out of line when their vast sand supports were removed and the structure became load-bearing. Likewise, some of the upper portions of the 9,500-tonne structure had to be bolted together at a tolerance of less than one tenth of a millimetre, and this at an altitude that few outside of the mountaineering community had ever scaled.

I mention this because there is a common assumption that French cars are not as well put together as their German or Japanese counterparts. A preconception that they are thrown together on a Friday lunchtime by some surly, over-paid, over-unionised Jean-Luc with a Gauloise on the go and a grievance with the management. It’s a myth, in case you were wondering.

But a myth that the previous generation Laguna (from 2000 to 2006) almost single-handedly confirmed as reality. To call it badly built is an understatement. And I speak from experience. I own one. It is spacious, handsome, comfortable beyond all belief, and in terms of its engine and gearbox, surprisingly sturdy.

But just about everything else, from the exhaust to the suspension to the electric windows to the sun visors to even something as simple as the key has needed attention recently. Fair enough, it’s an aged car but I know I’m not alone in my Laguna frustrations. The warranty claims on this model were sufficient to put Renault on a serious financial back foot.

So when Renault launched the updated Laguna III in 2006, it knew that the quality had to be right. Very right. And so it proved. I defy you to find a car with better primary and secondary reliability than a current Renault Laguna. It is, to coin a phrase, solid.

Just not very stylish. The crisp lines of the old (my) Laguna were abandoned in favour of plainness and anonymity. A shame. French cars should always be stylish, in my view.

Belatedly, Renault has attempted to inject some style back into the Laguna, with new lights and grille and an all-over make-over. Sadly, it still looks plain and ordinary, and I still wonder why Renault simply doesn’t take the shape of the gorgeous Laguna Coupe and stretch it to accommodate four doors.

Still, it is a truism that it’s mostly other people who look at your car, so you ought to be more interested in its mechanical and interior appointments. Few are, but that’s human beings for you.

So, the Laguna now gets Renault’s latest generation 2.0 dCi diesel engine, with 150bhp and a fairly hefty 340Nm of torque. It’s this torque that gives the Laguna a new-found dose of sportiness, and in the handsome black metallic paintwork of our test car, you could easily imagine it speeding out of the gates of the Elysee Palace, minister in the back seat, racing to some appointment with France’s destiny. Well, I could but maybe I’ve just watched Day Of The Jackal too many times.

When an engine combines performance this fleet (9.5 0-100kmh dash) with economy and emissions this impressive (5.2-litres per 100km, a figure we matched, and 136g/km of Co2) you know you’re on to a winner.

The sad thing is that dynamically, the Laguna simply can’t bring a chassis to match the engine’s party. It’s OK, but nothing more. The steering is, in true DeGaulle fashion, aloof and resistant. The handling is actually fine; the Laguna is always sure-footed and grippy, but it’s never engaging. Even the six-speed gearshift can’t be bothered, moving floppily and langorously across its gate. What makes it all so annoying is that we know, for a fact, that Renault can do better. The Megane Coupe is a fine-handling car, and the various RenaultSport models are as deft and as brilliant as any sports car, so there’s no need for the Laguna to be this unwilling.

There are some side benefits though. The seats, specced up to Initiale level on our car, felt like plump, lovely sofas more than car seats. The equipment levels (including a bewildering joystick controller for the TomTom-derived satnav) give you plenty of buttons to play with win traffic, and if space in the back is surprisingly poor (certainly not up to the current class standard) then at least the rear seats are as squidgily comfortable as the fronts.

And the quality? Fine, but for one error. With the extra Initiale spec, you get lots of wood and polished piano black inserts, but all they really do is remind you that many of the Laguna’s cabin fittings are actually a bit rough and ready. A little less make-up, in this case, would actually have revealed fewer flaws.

So, as the owner of a former Laguna, would I seriously consider the new one? No, sadly, but that’s not down to any specific failing of the car itself. Considered alone, the updated Laguna is charmingly French, well-made, swift, frugal and exceptionally comfortable. But considered along the horde of rivals that ply this exceptionally talented class (Mondeo, 508, Passat, Insignia, C5, Avensis, i40 etc etc) and it starts to lose its lustre. Renault needs to rethink and dramatically update the Laguna, not merely facelift it, if it’s to be truly competitive. And remember what I said about making the Laguna Coupe body into a four-door?

In spite of its utilitarian nature (and its singular lack of purpose) the Eiffel Tower has gathered a character all of its own and become the iconic symbol of the great city of Paris. Perhaps there’s a lesson there for the Laguna. Making something with precision engineering doesn’t mean you cannot also produce it with character and beauty.


Facts & Figures

Renault Laguna 2.0 dCi Initiale
Price: €27,990
Price range: €24,490 to €27,990
Capacity: 1,995cc
Power: 150bhp
Torque: 340Nm
Top speed: 180kmh
0-100kmh: 9.5sec
Economy: 5.2l-100km (54.3mpg)
CO2 emissions: 136g/km
Road Tax Band: B €156
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 2-star pedestrian