Test drive by Renault Megane Sedan 1999 - 2003 sedan

From the back

The concepts of the rear facade in architecture do not exist. But there are things that should be considered from the back. For example, Renault Megane II.
In the photo workshop, the laboratory assistant, giving me a photographic film, sighed enviously: behind it looks just amazing. Who? I asked, squinting at the receiver. A new car in your pictures.
Visually, Renault Megane II in some surprising way combines several cars. In the FAS, everything looks more than traditionally, in profile it is already more interesting, but the cunning interweaving of rounded lines and angles from the stern causes a ramp. So far, a five-door sport-hatch went on sale. Next in line, the sedan, the station wagon, the convertible, two single-combatrs-on the total, developed together with the Nissan specialists, seven bodies will be built, each of which will have its own stern, made in the same uncompromising and avant-garde style. Is it risky? On the one hand, the car has just been awarded the Car of the Year title. On the other hand, such laureature is usually a compliment to designers, and not all cars that have received this title in recent years have become sales leaders. In addition, a golf class is a everyday clothing, prone to conformism and pretentiousness does not to her face. Unless all the cars surround the same ...
It seems to be this that Renault strives: the style of Megane II is the same as the Avantime and Vel-Satis that have previously started-a limousine and a prestigious compartment, which appeared in silhouettes, more familiar to route taxis.
Go, touch. However, the design of the five -door I got was cloudy with an aerodynamic skirt and a visor over the rear window - a sports body kit offered at a fee. From the inside, everything also looked at a sufficiently sporty-it was not without reason that the designers announced that the salon of the new car would combine the features of the city machine and the Grand Turism.
From the GT there is elastic bucket -shaped chairs, by the way, in size and range of adjustments not inferior to Laguna II seats, almost a sportsbay visor above the dashboard, a speedometer scale and a tachometer in polished aluminum. From the same material - stylish door handles, in shape resembling a canned knife.
   
City features are more tangible than visible. This is the concept of Touch Design - to touch any surface in the cabin is extremely pleasant, whether it is a cloth upholstery of seats or almost rubber torpedo. By the way, the bottom of the doors here is also exclusively plastic and therefore is not afraid of contact with dirty shoes. On the steering column - a joystick of radio control. On the central console is a clear adjustment of a two-zone climate control. The eyelet above the driver's door, an ashtray that can be attached to the cup holder or on the door - this will not surprise anyone today. The glove compartment of Megane is voluminous, but how to use this volume is incomprehensible: horizontal surfaces for the luggage here are very narrow. Although the rest of the belongings can be shoved into the armrest container, a three -liter niche under the rug and in huge pockets, which are here even on the rear doors.
 
Store of growth. In the driver's place, it is truly spacious. Unless the ceiling presses a little. In the Peugeot 307, it is higher, which, however, can be explained very prosaically - for three hundred and seventh this is the limit, and Megan will also be a single -collector, for which the growth of growth must be left. The glass roof would not be afraid to be afraid of claustrophobia - according to the manufacturer’s certificate, the largest in the classroom, but this is the option.
The base relative to the previous model has grown, and there is now larger for the feet of the rear passengers. But with a height of 186 cm, I could not comfortably sit behind me - my knees were categorically nowhere to go, no matter how I tried to push the sofa on the luggages into the trunk. Therefore, in the back of such layouts, the space is enough for only two, however, the seats here are honestly shaped just a couple of passengers. At their service is the central armrest, leaning the lid of which you can find a tray with two recesses under the glasses. It is only strange that the surface of this tray is not plastic, but is covered with some villous material that absorbs the first overturned glass of tomato juice. In the arm of the armrest - fasteners for three pencils. The shelf covering the luggage compartment is narrow, with a deepening, so that the usual tray with eggs will be inconvenient here.
Cards in hand. In my pocket, I have a plastic card-key card, and therefore Megane II recognizes me by a meter and is ready to openly open the doors. In our country, I would not categorically use this function. So, you will come to a kind of locked car, someone will distract you, asking the road or matches, and his partner, who took advantage of the hospitality of the car, will quickly seal all the above-described salon capacities. Thank God, the engine can be launched only in a driver’s place. The Press Clutch + Start or Press Brake + Start line will run along the dashboard, which invites you to squeeze the brake or clutch and only then poke the engine start button. Moreover, it is not necessary to insert the card into the disc, it can remain in the pocket, only you need to remember that to stop the motor in this case, in the Start button, you need to click not one, but twice. It is sacred, but you can get used to it.
The gearbox lever in Megane II is installed vertically, and the short move and the slight effort with which the curtains works is pleasantly clear. But the gas pedal is cotton: I almost calculated and the tachometer arrow jumps to the red zone. The pedals are generally bad luck. Although I did not get behind the wheel in the flippers, the right boot of the 44th size was between gas pedals and the brake is clearly cramped. Although, maybe among future owners there is an athlete who will need to press two keys at once to switch with excitement, and then this will be a plus. But the same athlete clearly will not like the parking brake handle - it is simply impossible to dose the effort of slowing the rear wheels when passing the turn. But it looks original-something between the hilt of the shovel-stained and the handle of the throttle in the cabin of the aircraft.
Rear mind. The most powerful gasoline version of Megane II is not developing a 136 hp that is not very outstanding for a two -liter engine. However, it costs much more than 1.6-liter capacity of 115 hp, so we will most likely have the last one to the court. It was such an engine that was under the hood of my Megan. It seems that at the start he pulls well, and in second gear it gives to accelerate to 90 km/h. We also note an amazing sound insulation for golf class. The suspension is not heard or tangible - the front was increased in front of the previous model by almost 20 mm, the rear was provided with a separate subframe. The electric power steering is properly heavy with a speed set.
Not so long ago, Renault Megane II during the crash test, conducted as part of the Euro NCAP program, was flattened by five stars. The highest assessment was given with one remark: the weak protection of pedestrians, that you and me, of course, are of little interest to you. But we managed to evaluate the work of one of the active security systems. We do not undertake to judge whether two on one side of the body or all four wheels braid ESP when we laid a turn on a slippery paving stones, but the Megane II stop-signals were regularly lit.
If you look at the feed of the car - pleasure, then moving in reverse on the new Megan is not easy. The rear window is tiny, so we immediately lowered the central headrest. When the snow went and the glass was instantly covered with gray slurry, another component of comfort was discovered, which was sacrificed to the designers. The brush licked a negligible space, otherwise it could not be - how to process such a narrow and long window? Unless over time the designers will come up with a janitor who will run along the glass, like a manual arrow in an old transistor.
Megachit. If laboratory assistants and others, watching us, do not jinx Megane II feed, then closer to summer will be able to admire it. In Europe, a machine with a 1.6 liter engine today costs from $ 17.2 thousand.
Text Grigory Mitin, photo of the author and Renault
 
Model/Modification Renault Megane II
Manufacturer/country Renault/France
ENGINE
Type/number/location of gasoline cylinders/4/in -line
Working volume (cubic cub) 1598
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 83 (115) at 6000
Moment (Nm) at about./Min. 152 at 4200
TRANSMISSION
Front drive
Mechanical gearbox 5-speed
Brakes, safety
Front/rear disk, ventilated/disk
ABS, ABSH 8.0, EBD, ESP electronic systems with insufficient controllability control
Airbags up to eight pillows
Dimensions/mass
Length/width/height (mm) 4209/1777/1457
Wheel base (mm)/clearance (mm) 2625/120
Tires 195/65 R15
Mass weight/full (kg) 1155/1705
The volume of the fuel tank (L) 60
Maximum speed (km/h) 192
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 10.9
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 8.8/5.7
The price in Moscow is not determined by the manufacturer

Additional equipment, price in Europe (USD)
 
Climate control $ 1180
Tire pressure control $ 215
Xenon headlights $ 860
Glass sliding hatch $ 910
Heating the front seats $ 270
Alloying disks Nervasport 17 $ 1235
Cast discs $ 270

 

Source: "Autopilot"