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our test drives or view them all

Renault Mégane Coupé Dynamique 1.5 dCi

HIGHLAND Renault dealers Ness Motors is biting back at recession.

After a disappointing few months when sales dipped across the country, the Inverness, Elgin and Perth based Renault main dealers has started 2009 with a rush of activity.

As February drew to a close, it recorded one week’s trading with more than 50 cars sold and 42 of them brand new.

That’s the kind of upbeat news that’s needed in the car trade just now and Ness Motors is helping to deliver it with new models such as the Mégane hatch and its pretty little Megane Coupé sister.

This is a sporty little number that’s perfect for lifting Renault’s sometimes staid image. Along with the even more attractive Laguna Coupé, the compact Mégane three-door is an elegant addition to the refreshed Renault range that should do well over the summer.

The Mégane Coupé went on sale in January and is already attracting buyer attention.

That’s as much a product of its dynamic style and good looks as it is about its undeniable value.

Build quality is high. The bad old days of lightweight Renaults have gone, and the reassuring thud when I closed the large doors is testament to the marque’s new-found solidity.

The 10- model range covers petrol and diesel models at Expression, Dynamique and Privilege trim levels with prices that start from £14,785 for a 110bhp 1.6-litre petrol Expression to £18,885, for a 1.9 dCi turbodiesel in Privilege guise with 130bhp.

Six engines are available – three petrol including 1.6 VVT 110bhp, 2.0 140bhp CVT and 2.0 TCe 180bhp, and three diesel with an 86bhp 1.5 dCi, 106bhp 1.5 dCi and a 130bhp 1.9 dCi.

Transmissions include five-speed manual in the entry level £15,135 1.5 dCi turbodiesel, six-speed manuals in the majority, and a smooth CVT automatic in the 140bhp two-litre petrol Privilege at £18,285.

That’s a good spread of power and transmission choice for an affordable head-turner that has genuine style and reasonable comfort for four.

The front seats are supportive with plenty of adjustment, but the rear two are short on space and best only for shorter journeys.

But when it comes to engine choice, look no further than the cheapest models – the smooth 110bhp 1.6 16-valve petrol six-speeder and the outstandingly frugal and great all-round performer 106bhp 1.5 dCi turbodiesel.

I sampled the latter in mid-range Dynamique guise – well-appointed with a five star adult occupant safety rating, four stars for child safety and two stars for pedestrian cover.

With a relatively low insurance rating in Group 6 and scrooge-pleasing average diesel consumption just shy of 63mpg, its an ideal affordable coupé for the motorist who wants a new car with style and a good specification but is buying with budgetary considerations uppermost in his or her mind.

Even though my test car had precious few miles on the clock, it was impressively frugal.

Around town I managed 42mpg, and open road cruising returned a steady 59mpg. As the car loosens off and the miles build I’m sure these figures will stretch – not least because the coupé has shed a lot of weight and tips the scales at just 1.2 tonnes at the kerb despite being fairly long at 4.3 metres.

But even as this stage so early in its life, that kind of economy from a small engine that’s quiet in the cruise and develops a healthy 177lb.ft of torque at 2000rpm is indicative of a particularly good diesel engine.

The 1.5 dCi is used in many models – both by Renault and its Nissan partner. It’s a strong-hearted engine that turns in an impressive performance even when linked to the bulky Nissan Qashqai SUV.

Ever since it appeared the EU4-compliant 1.5 dCi has been hailed as one of the best small turbodiesels on the market. In the coupé, not traditionally rich ground for diesels, it performs well apart from a clattery start-up and the typical modern 16-valve turbodiesel party piece of being unwilling to pull away from very low revs.

But get used to the latter quirk and be prepared to keep the revs up and it’s a sweet little unit that won’t break the bank on running costs. Servicing is needed every 18,000 miles.

Ride quality and overall handling in this front drive three-door is as neutral as you would expect from the French manufacturer. The ride is firm and it’s not as sharp on the road as some rivals.

The test car suffered some intrusive road noise from the optional £350 17-inch alloys and their 50-section tyres. This is a product of our times and caused by Britain’s love affair with "sexy" optional large wheels.

The Dynamique is a good buy. Standard equipment includes excellent electronic stability programme, ABS, front and side airbags, front seat belt pre-tensioners, air conditioning, cruise control, powered mirrors and front windows, central locking, alloys, power steering, alarm/immobiliser, split and fold rear seat, and a good quality CD and RDS radio with remote steering column control.

The additions on my Ness Motors test car included a £985 front, rear and side skirt body styling kit and top quality full leather trim in black at £900.

As an everyday coupé the sporty new Megane model does a good job. The tailgate is flawed by intrusive lamp clusters and rather narrow with a deep sill, but it will take 344 litres of luggage – enough for a couple of suitcases. But drop the rear seats and you’ll gain a lot more cargo room – enough for 991 litres of carrying capacity.

It all adds up to the kind of good value package that has made Renault famous in recent years – and it’s all covered by a three-year/60,000-mile warranty.

It may not be up to the standards of Volkswagen’s excellent new Scirocco but the Mégane Coupé is good-looking with a superb cabin that can seat five adults.

One low point is the silvered finish on the air vents at either side of the dash. They may be a styling "must have" these days, but the coupé’s pair reflect badly in the side windows and interfere with a clear view of the door mirrors.

I can’t say I’m a fan of the electronic dash and particularly its digital speedo – a bit too brash. But, having just been stopped and warned about my speed in another car by a kindly Argyll cop, I must admit that the prominent speed display might have been the “in my face” reminder I needed to warn me about my velocity!

It’s a moot point that most modern cars are so competent and quiet that it’s all too easy to let your speed creep up and slip over designated limits. Maybe all speedo readouts need to be as big as the Megane Coupé’s!

Rating: 7/10

FINAL THOUGHT: Renault has been through a tough time – but the French company has restructured and is slimmer and meaner than before. That’s good news in these devastatingly hard economic times and might just save the company’s bacon. Cars such as the new Mégane Coupé help. It’s fresh-faced, packed with equipment, safe, good-looking and keenly-priced. With a new-found build quality and electronics that are reliable, the modestly-performing 1.5 dCi Coupé is a competent all-rounder with sporty style, a roomy interior and incredible supermini-like fuel consumption.

Renault Mégane Coupé Dynamique 1.5 dCi

• Price: £16,835
• Capacity: 1461cc
• Power: 106bhp
• 0-62mph: 10.9 seconds
• Maximum speed: 118mph
• Economy: Combined 62.8mpg; Urban 51.4mpg
• CO2 emissions: 120g/km
• ESP: Standard
• Insurance: Group 6