Merk Car World

Renault’s return to the Australian automotive scene involves entries into several different vehicle segments and the 1.6 litre Megane Cabriolet’s job is to tackle the affordable end of the drop-top market. As such, the 2011 Renault Megane Cabriolet’s opposition could reasonably be expected to include the Peugeot 306 and Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets, however both of these have 2.0 litre engines
and cost around $10,000 more. Two soft-tops that are closer to the Renault Megane Cabriolet in price (though they too, are dearer and only offer two seats) are the Mazda MX-5 and the MGF. Another potential competitor that’s due shortly is the Peugeot 206 Cabriolet. There’s just one version of the Renault Megane Cabriolet available here in Australia, with the manual priced at $39,985 and the automatic costing $41,985.

Renault Megane

Renault took the decision to specify high levels of standard equipment for all of its Australian-released models and so the 2011 Renault Megane Cabriolet comes with an impressive list of features. Standard items include four airbags (front and front side), air conditioning, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, electric windows and mirrors, an engine immobiliser, alloy road wheels, remote central locking and an in-dash CD player. The Cabriolet conversion by Karmann looks well executed, with only minimal body scuttle shake over rough surfaces. The fully-lined and electrically-operated hood appears to be weatherproof and draught-free. Though it’s power operated, the first (and last) stages of the hood lowering and raising operations have to be done manually. Probably the least attractive aspect of the Megane Cabriolet’s profile is the straight-on look of its rear, which is rather high and dumpy. However from the front, front angle or side-on, the Cabriolet looks perky and modern. It’s also a car that looks good with its hood up or down.

Renault Megane

The driver and front passenger have ample legroom and are seated in a pair of comfortable bucket seats that offer good lateral support. A cause of discomfort for myself is that the position of the seat belt upper mounting has the belt pulling down on my shoulder. Forget the rear seat unless you can have the front seats set forward a couple of notches, as rear leg room all but disappears when the front seats are set right back. If you can fit, the rear seat is reasonably comfortable, however some
occupants may find that the built-in head restraints intrude uncomfortably against their head or neck.

Generally, I found the pedal and control layout to be better in the 2011 Renault Megane than in a pair of Scenics tested, however with the seat set well back for leg comfort, the steering wheel is then a bit too far away. The wheel is tiltadjustable but not telescopic. As with many convertibles, vision to the rear (particularly the corners) is restricted when the hood is erect. Also, the view through the plastic rear window is inferior to glass windows. There is air-blown demisting provided for the rear window, which is reasonably effective.

Though acceleration times don’t show the 2011 Renault Megane Cabriolet to be a strong performer, the combination of good engine flexibility and sensible gearing make the car feel reasonably lively in everyday traffic situations. The Renault Megane also pulls quite well in the higher gears, so it’s not one of those cars in which you constantly need to be changing gears in order to maintain momentum. Though it’s recommended that the Renault Megane be operated on premium grade unleaded petrol, the upside is that it returns excellent fuel economy. In fact, the overall consumption litres/100 km recorded for our test puts the Megane Cabriolet up with some of the most economical vehicles tested, regardless of class.

2011 Renault Megane

The 2011 Renault Megane Safety was a key focus of the Megane , Renault's first car reflecting their new focus of selling on safety. It featured a pillar-mounted 3-point seatbelt for the middle-rear occupant (replacing the common 'lap strap'), standard front belt pre-tensioners and load limiters, driver's airbag and an impressive safety structure - a specification ahead of most rivals in 1995. Some features, such as the 3-point middle belt, had debuted on the Renault 19 safety concept vehicle (and in fact this feature entered production on the Renault Laguna before the Megane). The car also benefited from Renault's first "System for Restraint and Protection" (SRP), essentially a system of careful optimisation of occupant restraint by interaction of the seat, seatbelt, pretensioner, load limiter and airbag. Megane I achieved a best-in-class 4-star crash test rating in the 1998 round of testing by EURONCAP.

2011 Renault Megane

The Renault Megane has a supple suspension that provides both good ride comfort and surefooted handling. The power assisted rack and pinion steering is well weighted for precise control and overall, the Megane Cabriolet is pleasant and easy to handle.