Renault Megane Euro NCAP 5 Stars
Boldly shaking its distinctive rear, the Megane is the very essence of French chic, and one of the best value cars in its class too boot!! Generous equipment, fine engines and excellent quality give this Renault a really classy feel.
Hatchback and Sport Hatch models come in a range of petrol and diesel engines, from 1.4 to 2.0 litre, and with various options of manual or automatic gearboxes, depending on the model selected. The choices are slightly smaller for the saloon range. For those
environmentally conscious drivers wanting to reduce their footprint on the planet there is the 1.5 diesel, combining good performance with penny pinching economy. With emissions as low as 120g/km it is rewarded with a VED rating B, which not only entitles its owners to reduced road tax, but for those travelling or living within the London congestion charging zone this eco friendly car is exempted. The icing on the cake is fuel economy of over 60mpg even in urban driving conditions, which rise to over 70mpg extra urban.
There are six main trim levels, Authentique, Expression, Privilege, Extreme, Dynamique and the sporty flavoured Renaultsport. All cars are well equipped many offering innovative gadgets such as Keyless entry (which allows you to keep the key in your pocket or handbag while locking or unlocking the doors), push button start,
automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors. The controls are easy to use, including the airplane throttle shaped handbrake.
The estate (Sport Tourer) version retains Renaults bold styling whilst still offering an enormous load for a mid-sized car. Equipment levels are good and a five-star Euro NCAP rating makes it one of the safest cars in its class.
For those longing to feel the wind in their hair Renault has produced the big bottomed Megane in a classy cabriolet. A civilised cruiser with a folding metal and glass roof that stows in the boot at the touch of a button.
As with most Renaults the Megane, including the cabriolet version, scored highly in the Euro NCAP safety tests. In deed it was the first in its class to score a maximum 5 stars. Air bags abound with five door models getting ten and the three door up to 8.
Outstanding security is provided by keyless entry, deadlocks, a Thatcham-approved immobiliser and the Renault Anti-Intruder Device known as RAID. Privilege models also benefit from an alarm.
Every new Renault comes with a 3 year warranty package. The first 2 years of unlimited mileage followed by a further year of cover up to 60,000 mileage. In addition there is a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Renault UK also employs the services of the AA to
provide Renault Assistance during the warranty cover (up to 24 months from date of registration). This fully comprehensive roadside assistance package is available 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
About the manufacturer
Committed to protecting the environment throughout its processes, one of Renault's strengths is its capacity to integrate the environment into every stage of a vehicle project. From the design right through to the end of its life cycle, each new vehicle requires important
environmental decisions to be made, from the choices of materials, the methods of fluid extraction, the dismantling operations for recycling, emissions, fuel consumption and noise levels to list just a few. With mould-breaking innovations such as direct injection
Commonrail diesels and robotised gearboxes, Renault has consistently demonstrated that care for the environment can be compatible with real technical progress.
As alternative fuel sources as still a way off, Renault continues to strives to minimize CO2 emissions from its existing gasoline and diesel engines. They are tackling this from many different angles, including optimized fuel combustion, lightweight vehicle design, and reducing friction between moving parts. Improvements in all these areas help reduce fuel consumption, and thereby CO2 emissions and Renault is a leading manufacturer in this area as highlighted by the fact that in 2005, 25% of all vehicles sold in Europe that emitted less than 120g/km CO2 were Renaults. A lead Renault plan to continue by selling a million cars a year with CO2 emissions under 140g/km by 2008, with a third of these emitting less than 120 grams. Not surprising then that Renault proudly boasts that it already has one of the best vehicle ranges in the world for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Looking to the future and the eventual replacement of petroleum Fuels, Renault has been taking part in ambitious research programs on alternative energies for both the near future with the development of
biomass fuels and battery-electric vehicles, and the longer term with advanced technologies like fuel cells to power electric vehicles. When Renault announced its "Renault Commitment 2009" on February 9,
2006, it confirmed that the group was preparing a broad range of alternative technologies, of which the fuel cell is just one part.
At the 16th World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Lyons, France Renault was able to show off the advances it has made in the development of vehicles powered by fuel cells with reformers used to apply hydrogen energy to power a car. This technology directly produces hydrogen on demand and on board the vehicle, solving the problem of very high-pressure or cryogenic storage. Since 2002, Renault and Nuvera Fuel Cells have been working together on this solution by which the reformer, transforms liquid fuel into reformate, a hydrogen-rich gas that can be used to supply the fuel cell. The only by product of this process is water, which is then returned in a closed circuit to the reformer that needs water to operate.
When a vehicle reaches the end of its service life Renault recognises that, as well as being a potential burden on the environment, it is not worthless and still has a value as it contains expensive raw materials
that can be recycled. In line with the requirements of the EC End of Life Vehicle Directive, Renault owners are offered the possibility to dispose of their vehicle, free of charge, via a Renault appointed take back facility. Renault has selected Cartakeback.com Ltd to provide
free take back to last owners of vehicles of the Renault, Alpine and Dacia brands. All take back and treatment facilities operate in conformity with the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) requirements. Vehicles will be treated to meet the recycling and recovery target of 85 percent by weight from 2006 as set by the End of Life Vehicle Directive.