Renault Megane CC
Ritain, despite being cold and damp for most of the year, is Europe’s largest market for convertible cars. But why? The answer seems simply to be that we Brits like the feeling of open-air driving and being in touch with the elements.
So why then do car makers insist we sit in a dark,cramped cabin for months on end when the fabric or metal roof is up,cutting us off from those very elements we want to be in contact with?
Well,come November we won’t have to.
That’s when Renault’s new Megane Coupe Cabriolet reaches showrooms and with a folding glass roof as standard – the only one offered by any manufacturer.
Come rain or shine, Renault Megane CC will put drivers back in touch with the elements.
Prices will start at pounds 16,500 for the 115bhp 1.6 VVT Extreme, rising to pounds 20,200 for the flagship 136bhp 2.0-litre VVT Privilege Auto.
Renault’s most direct competitor is likely to be the new Peugeot 307 cc which is due to reach showrooms soon.
But while Renault offers three engine choices -115bhp 1.6-VVT, 136bhp 2.0-VVTand,innovatively for this type of car, a 120bhp 1.9dCi – Peugeot offers one petrol engine, a 2.0-litre with twooutputs,138bhp and 180bhp.
The Peugeot offers either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic while the Renault offers five or six-speedmanual gearboxes and a four-speedautomatic.
The folding glass roof of the new Renault is the most obvious demonstration of Renault’s technical innovation.
Fully automatic, the roof opens in 22 seconds at the touch of a button located on the centre console,folding into the boot of the car while still leaving 190 litres of luggage space.
The glass panel in the roof is made of Venus glass which filters out infra-red rays and absorbs virutally all the sun’s energy, avoiding passengers becoming too warm. The panel also features a sun blind which can be pulled across offering extra shade.
In addition, the new Renault Megane CC shares all the equipment already popular on its Hatch and Sport Hatch siblings.
The hands-free Renault Card allows the car to be unlocked and locked automatically thanks to proximity sensors in the car which detect the Renault Card on the owner’s person, whether in the pocket or handbag,and unlocks the door once the user touches the door handle.
Once inside, the user only needs to press the starter button to fire up the engine,again thanks to proximity sensors detecting the presence of the Renault Card.
Other features shared across the Renault Megane range include automatic head lamps ,automatic windscreen wipers, tyre pressure monitoring,integrated F1-style fuel filler cap,ABS and EBD electronic brake distribution and Brake Assist, ESP with ASR traction control and CSV understeer control,and xenon headlamps with speed function which varies the height and depth of the beam depending on the speed of the car.
Security of any cabriolet is paramount and the Megane is fitted with deadlocks, Thatcham approved immobiliser and Renault’s anti-intruder device as standard.
Standard equipment includes front and front lateral airbags, anti-submarining airbags,fixed roll bars behind the rear seats, three point seat belts with pre-tensioners on all four seats,and Isofix child seat anchorages in the rear.
Insurance groupings – 7E to 9E – will contribute to low running costs.
