Test Renault Mégane 1.6 dCi 130 Bose, balanced and technological

In 1995 Renault launched the first generation of its successful compact, the Renault Mégane. With the difficult role of relieve a myth, the Renault 19, the Mégane needed to give fresh air to the brand, rejuvenate it, make society see that something was beginning to change in the automobile sector and in the diamond brand. Was the first period of the diesel “boom” and one of the first models in the segment to receive supercharging in its diesel blocks.

Now, more than two decades later and already counting on his Fourth generation, we can say that The French compact hasn't gone bad at all, having been a regular reference in terms of sales at European level. In addition, it should be noted that It is produced in our country, in the Palencia factory. This week we have tested a unit associated with the diesel engine 1.6 dCi with 130 hp and even six-speed manual gearbox along with the level of finish Angry, one of the most equipped.

The Renault Megane belongs to segment C, that of the compact. Along with the B segment, the compact segment is probably the most competitive. Few brands allow themselves the luxury of not marketing any model with these characteristics, since it is probably the most balanced of all and, therefore, the best-selling. Opel Astra, Seat Leon, Ford Focus o Kia Cee'd are only four of his rivals, not to mention also the Volkswagen Golf. His goal will probably be to stay on the podium of the best-selling compacts.

Technology in sight

If something characterizes this fourth generation of the Renault Mégane, it is its technology and connectivity possibilities, something very fashionable these days. Despite the fact that the technological bulk is really in the passenger compartment, already from the outside it wants to be noticed with a groundbreaking design that you may or may not like, but that will not leave anyone indifferent.

Maybe it will be more conspicuous at night than in the day, when your feature lighting make an appearance. If you have seen a Renault Mégane at night you will know what I am talking about. The truth is its light signature is easily recognizable from several tens of meters away in the dark, especially from behind. But let's go in order, let's start with the front design of this Renault Mégane that so little to do with its predecessor.

Renault has chosen to show off its brand in its latest designs, and there is no better proof of this than presiding over the front with a large chrome rhombus. At the ends we find the headlights, this time with Full LED lighting, which give the compact so much personality thanks to its lower “appendix” that serves as daytime lighting. In the lower central area we see the second grill, smaller, and in the lower corners the turn signals and the circular fog lights.

We change perspective and observe the side of our protagonist. The corners of this compact are very rounded, which allows us to still see a good part of the headlights. We are also aware of your extended cantilever front and softness of your silhouette to the almost sudden fall of the roof at the rear, as well as how well this color “Berlin Blue” suits him and the inch wheels 17 in two-tone finish shod with tires in size 205/50 R17.

La rear of the bodywork is as striking as the front. Our eyes will focus mainly on your pilot lights; and it is that they are practically hypnotic in the dark since they cover almost the entire width of the gate. Its design is very thin and elongated, being separated from each other by the diamond of the brand and just a few centimeters of sheet metal. The bumper, with a large area, has very marked shapes above the hole for the license plate; while in the lower area it has been finished in black. We will also be struck by the big hips of her body, as well as the small posterior moon.

Habitability and trunk

The Renault Megane has changed its levels exteriors in this new generation compared to its predecessor. It is now 4,36 meters long (6 cm longer), 1,81 meters wide (0,6 cm longer), and 1,45 meters tall (2,4 cm shorter). The wheelbase is 2,67 meters, that is, 5,5 cm longer than before. Despite its greater length and wheelbase, the Renault Mégane is still not one of the most spacious compact.

As usual in cars of this size, there are no space problems in the front seatsneither in width nor in height. The rear seats allow comfortably travel four adults, but it is true that in other models, such as the Opel Astra, we enjoy more legroom. In height it will not be the one with the most advantages, but people of 1,80 meters will not touch the ceiling. A fifth occupant will reduce a lot of comfort in a long journey by width, although the central tunnel is not very pronounced; central tunnel which, by the way, includes double air outlet and one power outlet.

El trunk of this French model cubic 384 liters, expandable to 1.247 if we lower the rear seats, a figure that places it in the segment average. The shapes are quite straight, which makes it very useful when loading suitcases. The seats "lie" forward in two asymmetrical halves and, despite the fact that they include an armrest in the central square, they do not have the typical hatch for transporting skis. In any case, if we need more cargo space we can take a look at the Renault Mégane Sport Tourer, the family body version.

More quality than ever

This fourth generation of the Mégane has noticeably improved in perceived quality. Touch in the most common areas and controls is much nicer than in the model it happens to. The upper and mid-height areas, both on the dashboard and on the door panels, are padded and of good quality. The steering wheel and its controls, as well as the feel of the change and the different coatings also they have given us a good feeling.

The two main claims of this Renault Mégane in Bose finish are its digital instrument panel and the central dashboard display positioned vertically. instrument cluster It can be configured to our liking and the way of presenting its information can vary depending on the selected driving mode, although it always presents the information clearly.

For its part, the dashboard touch screen, 8,7 inches, responds very well to our indications and is easy to handle, allowing us to easily view all the information; although we will need several minutes to get used to handling all its menus and possibilities. A very positive detail is that the air conditioning control has not been integrated into it, which is in a lower position. Also it is appreciated that the piano black finish was not used in its surroundings, since it gets dirty very easily.

Depending on our preferences we can set ambient lighting depending on our tastes or the selected driving mode, changing between various colors and intensities of it. What has not changed at Renault is the location for throttle and speed limiter buttons, which continue in the central tunnel, next to the electric parking brake and two bottle holders. The position of the power window controls is also not comfortable., which are somewhat delayed with respect to our hand, which forces us to make an unnatural movement. A simple anecdote that we will end up getting used to.

As for the the seats, personally I think they have a very well chosen design. They are very functional since they are very comfortable and at the same time support the body in curves. Its regulation is mechanical, except for the lumbar support for the driver. This also has, in our unit, the massage function, which is managed through the touch screen and through a button on the same seat, a system that is best used only on expressways.

1.6 dCi 130 HP

Renault has not been able to say no to the usual downsizing that most manufacturers use so much in order to reduce polluting emissions. Our test unit uses the turbocharged diesel engine 1.600 cc, which premiered a few years ago with the third generation of the Renault Scénic minivan, associated with a six-speed manual gearbox. It produces 130 hp at 4.000 rpm and a maximum torque of 320 Nm from 1.750 rpm.

your skills they are not sports, but in return it will grant smooth running, low noise level and good fuel consumption made out of fuel. According to the homologation data, the Renault Mégane with this mechanics can do 0 to 100 km/h in 10 seconds and has a top speed of 198 km/h, while the average consumption will be 4 liters per 100. fuel tank is 47 liters; A slightly higher volume would not have been bad.

La mechanical range de gasoline It is made up of the 1.2 TCe 100 versions, the 1.2 TCe 130 available with manual or EDC automatic transmission, and the 1.6 TCe 205 that can only be associated with the EDC automatic transmission. In the diesel section We have, below the tested unit, the dCi 90 and dCi 110, the latter with manual gearbox and EDC. Above the dCi 130 we will only have the new dCi 165 with an exclusive EDC change for the GT finish

Unsportsy engine, but smooth and efficient

It's time, with the key in your pocket, fully depress the clutch pedal and press the start button. The 1.6 dCi wakes up after several hours of sleep. The idle will be slightly raised in the first moments, but neither a high noise level nor vibrations will reach the passenger compartment. In fact, for a diesel it is quite well insulated, similar to the silence of a premium vehicle. After a few minutes it will almost cost us to distinguish if it is started or stopped.

Once we start the march, this propellant will not stand out for a very powerful thrust. Its objective is another, to be smooth and accompany the rest of the vehicle in the search for comfort. But let's not fool ourselves either, it's 130 CV, a more than decent power to move with ease the almost 1.400 kg of this compact and that pushes with force from 1.600 rpm approximately, when the delivery of torque begins to be noticed. He gets along with him cultural, six-speed manual, with inserts also soft although of long journeys.

One of the issues that is most taken into account today when buying a vehicle is the fuel. As we have mentioned above, the brand approves for this version a mixed consumption of 4 l/100 km. Reaching that figure is very complicated, but we won't be very far either. Under normal conditions this dCi 130 you will need between 4,7 and 5,5 liters of diesel per 100 kilometres.

A very balanced compact

During these days the Renault Mégane has shown us that it is a very well balanced car. It won't particularly stand out in any area or type of road, but behaves remarkably in all of them. In addition, their consumption is contained and if we increase the pace they do not shoot up instantly.

The setup seems a bit softer than most of the competition, although the difference is minimal and the fact that the tested Mégane has not resorted to huge tires with low-profile rubbers may help in this. Yes, we would have liked the steering touch It would be somewhat less artificial, although today that great assistance and little transmission of information due to electrical assistance is in style.

La chassis configuration to which we referred has the and advantages to offer greater rolling comfort. We will notice it in urban routes when passing over the typical speed bumps and bumps, where our back will suffer a little less than usual, and the tire profile 50 It will help us on very broken or cobbled surfaces.

on highways secondary or mountain passes, despite having somewhat softer suspensions, inertia and inclinations of the bodywork will not appear unless the pace is very high, almost extreme. If we go "joyful" we will not enjoy its power, but the cycle part of the Mégane will not slack at any time being safe and following the direction that we indicate. Here the seats, due to their lateral support, will be a good ally.

En dual carriageway has also been shown very comfortable, being an easy car to drive and that does not lose poise if we take something in a hurry on these expressways. The softness of the seats, the suspension and the wide-profile tires filter potholes and asphalt joints very well. This will be the circumstance ideal for safely enjoying the massage function while we devour kilometers and listen to our favorite music in the Bose sound system, which has nine speakers plus a subwoofer in the trunk.

Conclusions

The last part of our test arrives and it's time to draw conclusions of the new Renault Megane. We recall that we have tested a corresponding unit with the bose finish, one of the highest, associated with the 1.6 hp 130 dCi engine. The Renault Mégane Bose starts at 21.648 euros according to the brand's configurator, which will be 22.352 euros if we associate it with the proven mechanics. Total, our unit is going to the $25.810 to include the parking aid, the Head-Up Display, Full LED lighting with automatic high beams, the Safety Pack and the color Berlin Blue.

I have to admit that this new Mégane has surprised for good. The set of mechanics and chassis in this version will not offer sports performance, although there is the option of the Renault Mégane GT that is more dynamic, the unit being tested rather comfort oriented. Despite this, his behavior at all times is noble, agile and poised.

If you are considering the purchase of a compact you should take it into account, and more especially if you like technologies. of all his rivals It is the most complete in the technology section with which to tinker. It will not be the one that offers the largest passenger compartment or trunk in the segment, but there is always the option of opting for the family body that offers more space for the rear seats and, of course, for the trunk.

Equipment

Life

• puncture repair kit
• Electric mirrors
• Adjustable driver's seat height
• Audio equipment with 4 speakers, USB socket and Bluetooth
• Speed ​​governor and limiter
• gear shift indicator
• Hill start assist

Intense

• Leather steering wheel
• Dual zone air conditioning
• hands-free card
• Lumbar support adjustment on the driver's seat
• Electric rear windows
• Radio with 7″ touch screen
• Front fog lamps
• LED daytime running lights
• rear parking sensors
• Emergency braking aid

Zen

• Instrument panel with 7″ TFT screen
• Electrically folding exterior mirrors
• R-Link navigation system
• Automatic headlights and windshield wipers
• Electric parking brake
• Renault Multi Sense
• Lane departure warning
• Recognition of traffic signs

GT-Line

• Specific leather steering wheel
• Darkened rear windows
• Electrochrome interior mirror
• Rear armrest with cup holder
• Passenger seat with height adjustment

Angry

• Nappa leather steering wheel
• Driver's seat with massage function
• Multimedia system with 8,7-inch vertical screen and Bose sound system
• Front and rear parking aid with reversing camera

GT

• Specific leather steering wheel
• Gear changes on the steering wheel via paddles
• sports chassis
• 4 steering wheels

Pricing

Editor's opinion

Gallery of images of the Renault Megane