Astra wins big at Car Tech awards
Renault has fitted its Mégane with a new small-capacity petrol engine. Can it beat the downsized Astra and 308?
THE British-built Vauxhall Astra has been named as one of the most advanced cars on the road, after being crowned Tech Car of the Year in the sub-£25,000 category in the first Car Tech Awards, powered by Auto Express’s sister websites, Carbuyer and Alphr.com.
Judges praised the Astra’s Onstar system, standard-fit Apple Carplay and Android Auto media tech, and the quality of its stereo.
In the over-£25,000 category, the VW Passat took the crown. Meanwhile, Volvo was named Tech Brand of the Year, winning praise for how it’s using tech to deliver on its promise of achieving zero deaths or serious injuries in a new Volvo by 2020.
The awards judged cars on a range of criteria including audio, connectivity and autonomous tech. For the full list of winners visit www.alphr.com.
DOWNSIZED petrol engines are all the rage these days, as they aim to deliver big-chested performance without the big bills. So it’s no surprise to find Renault has recently fitted a 1.2-litre turbo under the bonnet of its latest Mégane.
When combined with the racy GT Line trim, this new unit promises fun and frugality in a practical and well equipped package. The 128bhp four-cylinder isn’t short of firepower, while racy additions inside and out give sporty kerb appeal.
Yet it’s not the only family-friendly five-door that’s had a warm hatch makeover. In SRI guise, the Vauxhall Astra gets just enough design cues to stand out. And under the skin you’ll find Vauxhall’s latest 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo, which is very refined and punches well above its weight.
Completing our welcoming committee for the Renault is the Peugeot 308. With its gutsy turbo, classy looks and long kit list, it represents a stern test for the Mégane. So which of our trio offers the most fun for the smallest impact on our wallet?
MODEL TESTED: Renault Mégane 1.2 GT Line Nav PRICE: £19,950 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 4cyl, 128bhp
THIS all-new fourth-generation version of the Mégane has propelled Renault into classleading contention. With its blend of practicality, space, efficiency, comfort and quality, the French machine has the measure of most rivals.
Currently offered only as a five-door, the new car features a familiar line-up of petrol and diesel engines, plus a wide range of trim levels. We’ve already tested the diesel-powered Dynamique S Nav (Issue 1,433) and flagship petrol GT (Issue 1,435); now it’s the turn of the £19,950 1.2 TCE GT Line Nav.
Styling 4.2/5
THERE’S no denying Renault has pulled out all the stops for the design of the latest Mégane. At the front is the brand’s trademark diamond logo, flanked by a pair of headlamps framed by distinctive C-shaped LED running lights. Look down the sides of the car and you’ll spot the bulging rear wheelarches and neat kick in the window line ahead of the C-pillar, which are both reminiscent of the Clio supermini. At the rear are the eye-catching LED tail-lamps that run nearly the whole width of the bootlid.
GT Line models make even more of an impact courtesy of their bespoke bumpers, rear diffuser, metallic grey door mirror housings and unique 17-inch alloy wheels. Our car also benefited from the bright £500 LED headlamp upgrade.
The racy theme is even more obvious inside, with bright blue trim inserts in the doors and dashboard, plus the chunky, high-backed sports front seats. And on the door sills are chromed kick plates embossed with the GT Line logo. Elsewhere, it’s standard Mégane, so you get slick design, high-grade materials and cutting-edge kit. Renault has made big strides with quality, and soft-touch materials are used throughout, while the interior feels as robustly built as both the Peugeot’s and Vauxhall’s.
One of the highlights of our car was the upgraded £300, 8.7-inch R-link 2 infotainment screen, which sits portrait-style in the centre of the dashboard, much like the Volvo XC90’S set-up. This unit groups together the sat-nav, driving modes and hi-fi controls, giving the rest of the dash a clutter-free look. The graphics are all sharply defined, while the on-screen functions respond crisply. Ahead of the driver is a seven-inch configurable TFT display that combines the speedo, rev counter and trip computer.
The Mégane’s showroom appeal is further boosted by the standard kit tally, which extends to keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, configurable mood lighting and automatic lights and wipers.
Driving 3.9/5
EVEN a short drive in the Mégane is enough to confirm that Renault’s engineers have focused on comfort and refinement. The suspension is the same as the Dynamique model’s, so not only does the car ride well, noise levels are also impressively low.
Still, the turbocharged 1. 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine does its best to inject some sporty appeal. With 128bhp, it’s the most powerful unit here, plus this car is the only one of our trio to get a six-speed gearbox. As a result it was three-tenths quicker than its nearest rival from 0-60mph, with a time of 10. 2 seconds.
The Renault extended its advantage during our assessments, where its greater choice of ratios and decent 205Nm torque figure allowed it to set the pace from 30-50mph and 50-70mph. Strangely, on the road the Renault actually felt the least eager of our trio. This is partly down to its refined power delivery, but mainly the fact that its peak torque is served up at 2,000rpm, which is 500rpm and 200rpm higher than the 308 and Astra respectively.
As a result, the Mégane feels a little lethargic at low revs; you have to work the engine hard to make progress. Still, the unit’s raspy note and the precise action of the gearbox mean this isn’t too hard. Refinement is impressive, and our noise figures reveal it is the quietest car at both 30 and 70mph.
The Mégane rides well, too, remaining smooth where the Astra and 308 get fidgety. It’s particularly impressive at motorway speeds, and only sharp ridges send a shockwave through the cabin. This emphasis on comfort means the Renault doesn’t handle quite as sharply as its rivals here, or feel as engaging as you’d expect a car wearing this badge to be.
The steering is a little light and the Mégane turns in more lazily than the Vauxhall, but once settled, the Renault grips hard. And while there’s some roll, body control is good. Engaging Sport mode sharpens the throttle, but also creates unnatural resistance to the steering, making the wheel feel artificially heavy.
Ownership 4.5/5
RENAULT hasn’t always had the best reputation for quality and customer care, but has worked hard to improve. The firm finished eighth out of 32 manufacturers in our latest Driver Power satisfaction survey, nine places ahead of Peugeot. Renault’s garages topped our dealer chart, too.
The car has a strong safety record, with Euro NCAP awarding it five stars. All versions get six airbags and a speed limiter, while the GT Line adds traffic sign recognition, high beam assist and lane departure warning. Autonomous emergency braking is offered with the adaptive cruise control upgrade, at £400.
Running costs 3.7/5
THE Mégane falls between its rivals on list price, but on finance it’s the most attractive option. Put down a £3,000 deposit and you’ll pay £229 per month over three years on the Selections personal contract plan. This includes a £1,950 dealer contribution, a 10,000mile annual mileage limit and an APR of 4.0 per cent.
With the same deposit, three-year plan length and mileage restrictions, the Astra will cost £285 a month and the 308 is £254 a month. Peugeot’s deposit allowance is £2,000 and its APR is 4.9 per cent, while Vauxhall will put £1,000 towards the price of the car and charge interest at 3.7 per cent.
Practicality 4.2/5
IT'S the widest car here and boasts the longest wheelbase, but that doesn’t translate into a big space advantage, as occupants will find the Renault is no more roomy in the back than the Vauxhall.
On the plus side, its boot boasts a generous 434-litre capacity, which is 64 litres more than the Astra’s. And while there’s a step down to the boot floor, the load bay is well shaped and doesn’t suffer from any awkward intrusions.
Elsewhere, there’s plenty of handy storage, including flock-lined door bins and a trinket tray that also houses the USB and 12V connectors. Yet as with many French cars, the Mégane’s glovebox is tiny as it has to share space with the fusebox.