Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-TECH 2020 review

Опубликованно 04.09.2020 22:25

What is it?

There’s more to this facelifted fourth-generation Renault Megane 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 all the tax-friendly status and feel-good eco credentials that the addition of a plug-socket and supplementary electric motor inevitably bring with them.   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 dealbreaker. 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 put the Kia to shame a bit. Use the entirety of the throttle pedal’s travel and the Megane’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.

Категория: Краш-тесты