Renault Megane (2022 - )

If its dimensions are to be believed, the latest Renault Megane might be too small to qualify as an SUV, but looking at the pictures, you'd be hard-pressed to say it wasn’t one. This is a very deliberate move by Renault. The popularity of SUVs has exploded in recent years – and the French automaker has taken full advantage by launching a raft of them. 

There is the Captur, Scenic, Symbioz, Arkana, Austral, and Rafale. Nowadays, only a couple of non-SUVs are in its range, namely the all-electric modern-day rendition of the Renault 5 and the Clio. In truth, this new car is Megane in name only. It has almost nothing in common with the old one, including the power source, as it's now all-electric. So how good is this Megane – and does it mean the spirit of the hot-hatch version, the Megane RS, has gone for good? We will see how much vigour Renault has left in this new zero-emissions family car. 

The Megane is available in three trim levels: Evolution, Techno and Iconic. Renault has just upgraded them, adding a heat pump as standard on all models. This not only pre-heats the car for you - handy on a cold winter's morning - but also improves energy efficiency, as batteries perform better in warmer conditions. Evolution has 18-inch alloys, a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SatNav, an Arkamys sound system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, and dual-zone climate control with humidity sensors and air recycling. 

You also get heated front seats, and a steering wheel wrapped in synthetic leather, plus a keycard with keyless entry, ambient interior lighting, rain-sensing wipers, automatic LED headlights, and a wireless phone charger. Mid-spec Techno gets 20-inch alloys, a larger 12.0-inch infotainment screen with Google-native services, six-way electrically adjustable front seats with two-way lumbar support, a driver massage function, and two extra speakers. 

Paddle shifters are also in place to control the regenerative braking. The top-of-the-range Iconic trim, which we're testing, features a 360-degree surround-view camera, tinted rear windows, dynamic indicators, and hands-free parking.
 

As we said, the Megane looks more like a mini-SUV, taking styling cues from other SUVs in its range, even though, strictly speaking, it's still classed as a family hatchback. The thin headlights at the front have plenty of blank space due to the lack of a front grille - and large housings for day-running lights and air intakes. Meanwhile, the sides have large, rising skirts, indicating the car’s vigour. At the back, a horizontal bar connects the taillights and there’s plenty of cladded bodywork lower down. 

It looks similar to the Scenic, Symbioz and Austral, with lots of sculpted shapes on the car and a rounded silhouette. Attractive? That's subjective. But stylish and modern? You bet. The Renault is a beauty inside, too. While it won't give the German brands headaches regarding luxury, it still looks nicely designed. There is glossy piano black and silver on the steering wheel and an attractive unit that houses the infotainment touchscreen and a digital instrument display together. 

The former is tilted slightly towards the driver. If you opt for the entry-level models, you’ll get a smaller infotainment screen, but Techno and Iconic trims get a larger one with Google services – and it’s worth having. Features such as Google Maps become native to the car, meaning you can display Google Maps in full view on the digital instrument display, something you can’t do via smartphone mirroring using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Happily, climate control functions are accessed via physical buttons rather than being integrated into the infotainment screen, so they're a walk-in-the-park to operate on the move.
 

Unfortunately, there's no choice when it comes to powertrains - only one is offered - but thankfully, it's a good one. The electric motor produces 220PS, which is a lot for a small family hatchback – arguably even slightly excessive. Zero to 62mph is done in just 7.4 seconds – and few Meganes have got close to that apart from the hot-hatch RS version. As a result, driving in a straight line feels brisk – and the great news is that it's good around corners, too. 

Despite Renault’s best attempts to give the Megane some SUV-like credentials, it handles like a family hatchback. The French machine is nimble, agile - and even quite fun. The tyres generate plenty of grip, the steering wheel is precise and weights up nicely, and body lean around faster bends is well controlled. As a result, the Megane is impressive in driving quickly on twisty roads, so adding to its straight-line speed, it's an excellent motor. 

Good handling often sacrifices ride comfort, and although the Megane isn't uncomfortable, the ride is firm, especially on the 20-inch alloys of the top two trims, including our test car. The entry-level model has 18-inch alloys, which will be more absorbing, but considering 20-inch rims are pretty enormous, we were surprised the latter wasn’t less comfortable. The regenerative braking system is good, too, feeling consistent. In the highest setting, one-pedal driving is possible, gradually bringing you to a stop when you lift your foot off the accelerator.
 

Despite being a small family car, there's a surprising amount of space inside the Megane. The six-way electronic adjustment in our test car makes it easy to get comfortable, aided by the lumbar support and massage function - although you won't get this on the entry-level Evolution model.

Taller drivers will feel there’s an decent amount of legroom and headroom in the front, while even the back offers an impressive amount, considering this is a small car.

The roofline slopes downwards slightly, which means headroom in the back isn't quite as generous as in the front, but it's not bad. A flat floor makes it easier on your feet if you're in the middle seat, though. Seeing out of the front is fine, as the windscreen pillars aren't incredibly thick and are swept back, so you don't need to lean forward quite as much at road junctions. The pillars at the rear, though, are much thicker, and the shallow rear windscreen further restricts your view.

All versions get rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera – the latter upgraded to a 360-degree surround-view camera on our test car.

The boot's capacity is 440 litres, but fold the seats down in a 60:40 split, and it'll increase to 1,332 litres, which isn't bad at all. However, there's no additional so-called 'frunk' storage under the bonnet, a feature you’ll see in some electric cars.
 

Given that there are no emissions and no petrol or diesel fuel in sight, running the Megane will cost a fraction of the price of a combustion-engined car. It is fitted with a 60kWh battery, which Renault claims can manage 281 miles on a full charge. This is beaten by some of its opponents, but it isn't bad by any means. In the real world, anything above about 170 miles is about what you’d expect. The maximum charging speed is 130kW, meaning you can top up the batteries to 10-80% in around 30 minutes, while it will take around ten hours to do a full 0-100% charge from a typical 7kW home wall box.

The Megane’s zero emissions also play nicely into the hands of company car drivers, as the Renault sits in the lowest band for Benefit In Kind tax, but so does every other electric car on the road. Reliability-wise, this is a clean-sheet design, so comparing it with the old Megane is pointless, especially as the last model was combustion-engined. This new one is a Megane in name only.

Renault as a brand doesn’t do disastrously, but it could be better. As a result, only a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty is offered - however, the mileage limit only applies to the third year. In contrast, Renault offers various maintenance plans that can extend the warranty and cover servicing at a main dealer. These plans can also be paid for monthly, so you won't be stuck with a hefty bill on the day of the service.

The Megane E-Tech exceeds expectations, offering stylish exterior looks, a nice interior and decent driving dynamics. It is quite good to drive, has plenty of performance for a family hatchback, and is practical and cheap to run. Although we were surprised by the spacious interior, it's still not enough to be a class leader, while some challengers can beat its range.

We would avoid the Iconic Comfort Range – not because it’s bad, but because it doesn’t do enough to justify the near 12% price jump from the entry-level model. That said, if your wallet can go halfway, then we’d go for the Techno trim. Why? Well, partly for the electric seat adjustment, but mostly for the excellent Google-native infotainment, not to mention the larger screen, which is useful.

Make no mistake: the Megane is a fine car, and Renault has done a great job. If it can tick the reliability box, it’ll be a superb all-rounder.