Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech 2020 review

Опубликованно 08.09.2020 11:48

What is it?

There’s more to this facelifted fourth-generation Renault M?gane Sport Tourer than a lightly revamped cabin and a few modest exterior styling tweaks.  

The big news here is that the estate version of Renault’s accomplished C-segment model is now available as a plug-in hybrid, with the tax-friendly status and feel-good eco credentials that the addition of a plug socket and supplementary electric motor inevitably brings.   What's it like?

Admittedly, a Kia Ceed Sportswagon PHEV will travel slightly further on a single charge (it has a WLTP-certified range of 35 miles), but the difference between it and the Renault isn’t so great as to be a deal-breaker. In fact, when it comes to the business of, you know, actually driving, it’s the Renault that comes across as the more polished product.  

Let’s start with the powertrain. In terms of outright refinement, it does rather put the Kia to shame. Use the entirety of the throttle pedal’s travel and the M?gane’s four-cylinder engine remains impressively demure, with only the faintest drone beginning to make its way into the cabin as you approach the national speed limit. By contrast, the Kia’s motor sounds a bit like an unruly blender. The point at which the Renault’s petrol engine actually sparks into life after a sustained period of electric-only running isn’t all that obvious either, which is a good thing.

What’s not so flash, however, is the manner in which it actually accelerates. It handles the sorts of short bursts you might need to make the most of a gap in traffic just fine, but sustained periods of hard acceleration reveal a few shortcomings. Should I buy one?

Prices for this new plug-in M?gane Sport Tourer start at ?30,685 for the Iconic model, and increase to ?32,685 for the RS Line. So it’s slightly more expensive than the Kia, which you can have in range-topping ‘3’ specification for just under ?30,000.

The Renault might not be able to travel quite as far as the Kia on battery power, but its overall driving experience generally feels better resolved than that offered by its South Korean rival. For what it’s worth, I think it looks better too.

Of course, to make the most of this new plug-in M?gane you’ll need to keep its batteries topped up. And considering Renault will give you a free BP Chargemaster home wallbox (which can top the M?gane’s batteries up in just over three hours), if you buy one, doing so should be   easy.  

Technical specs Model tested: Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech Price: 32,685 Engine: 4 cyls in line, 1598cc, Atkinson cycle petrol; with 1 x front-mounted, 49kW   motor Transmission: 7-spd automatic Model tested Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech Price 32,685 Engine 4 cyls in line, 1598cc, Atkinson cycle petrol; with 1 x front-mounted, 49kW   motor View all specs and rivals Transmission 7-spd automatic Power 158bhp (combined) 0-62mph 9.8sec Top speed 111mph Battery size 9.8kWh Fuel economy 217.9mpg CO2 30g/km Electric range 30 miles BIK tax band 10% Power 158bhp (combined) 0-62mph 9.8sec Top speed 111mph Battery size 9.8kWh Fuel economy 217.9mpg CO2 30g/km Electric range 30 miles BIK tax band 10% Advertisement Share review Are you as passionate about cars as we are? Get all the best car news, reviews and opinion direct to your inbox. Subscribe to the Autocar newsletter now. Haymarket Media Group, publishers of Autocar takes your privacy seriously. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe mechanism on any email you receive from us. We will use your information to ensure you receive messages that are relevant to you. To learn more about how we use the information you provide to us please see our Full Privacy Notice. Join the debate Comments 4

xxxx how did this happen 2 September 2020

Fur less than 2k more you can have a V60, the world is truly bonkers

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