Renaultsport Megane 225
There's much more to Renault than wild styling and crash test success. The French firm is also famous for transforming its family hatches into cult drivers' cars.
As with the Clio 182 before it, the Renaultsport Megane offers performance in a hatch-sized package. More grown-up than its souped-up little brother, the newcomer is very quick with handling and a soundtrack to match. It seems certain to become a familiar sight on our roads.
There's much more to Renault than wild styling and crash test success. The French firm is also famous for transforming its family hatches into cult drivers' cars. So it's no surprise to find that the company has been hard at work injecting extra Va-Va-Voom into its top-selling Megane.
Hot on the heels of the revised Clio 182, the Renaultsport Megane 225 is aimed at the potent SEAT Leon Cupra R and Honda's Civic Type R, and is distinguished by flared wheelarches, twin exhausts and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Powered by a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbocharged engine tuned to produce 225bhp, the car is capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 147mph. It's whisper quiet at tickover, but the stainless steel tailpipes produce a real snarl as the revs rise. In-gear performance is awesome, and this muscle translates into effortless overtaking ability.
It's not all about straight-line speed, though, as the chassis is more than capable of dealing with challenging roads. Torque steer, the scourge of powerful front-wheel-drive cars, is hardly noticeable thanks to a clever axle set-up, and traction is superb. The steering is well weighted and offers excellent feel, too, while the Brembo brakes are razor sharp. However, the six-speed manual gearbox can be vague and you need to be precise to swap cogs smoothly.
The cabin looks sporty, with drilled aluminium pedals and figure-hugging seats which give outstanding support. The leather-clad, three-spoke steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, and it's easy to find a comfortable driving position. Our only complaint concerns the lack of space for rear passengers, as plenty of legroom up front equates to next to none in the back!
Driver aids include EBD, ABS and stability control (ESP). Unfortunately, the ESP system can't be switched off completely. At 15mph, it automatically engages, even when the driver has turned it off. Take a corner with too much vigour and power is instantly cut.
We've little doubt the Renaultsport Megane will be as successful as the hot Clio - last year, buyers here snapped up 2,500 of the hatches, making Britain its biggest market in the world. With our love affair with French hatchbacks going strong, the latest Megane makes a tempting new proposition.
