Road Test : Renault Mégane RenaultSport 250

Review by Jay Williams - 13/April/2011

I've always been a fan of the derriere on the previous model Renault Mégane, but not many people share my view on this matter. I praised Renault for designing something that was outside of what you would call "the norm".

This time around Renault has erased any signs of its unique backside and instead replaced it with a more subtle design. 

Now, when I say subtle, I mean subtle by Renault's standards.

The Renault Mégane RenaultSport 250 still has a certain flare about its appearance, which sets it apart from its hot hatch competitors.

Looks aside, the new Mégane RenaultSport 250 stands out through its exhilarating performance and handling, so lets find out how this hot hatch handles out on the road.

Drive: 4.5/5

Settling in behind the wheel of the French hot hatch it doesn't take long before you realise that this thing means business.

At first you are fooled into thinking that this is a pretty mundane affair, where rivals may snap, roar and gallop down the road, the Megane Renaultsport goes about its business in a smooth manner while still covering ground quite quickly.

Ride quality is exceptionally well mannered and supple for a machine that has grip likened to a roller coaster, the steering proves effortlessly refined and direct, and the Mégane 250 displays insane levels of handling performance when cornering.

The great thing about the Mégane RenaultSport 250 is that it has enough torque available lower down to make it relatively easy to drive on the daily commute, yet put your foot down and its low-rev Renault engine note turns into to a loudish bark that takes you from 0-100km/h in just over six seconds.

The Renault Mégane RenaultSport 250 is a great all round hot hatch, it offers a great mix of luxury, comfort and plenty of sports performnace.

Engine: 3.5/5

Power and torque figures gain a healthy boost over the previous model, the 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine produces 184kW of power at 5500rpm and 340Nm of torque at 3000rpm.

With virtually no turbo-lag, the 2.0-litre engine offeres elastic performance, coming in just as handy on a five minute boot down to the shops as it does on a track day.

Another factor that makes the car feel quicker is that it has a fairly quick revving engine, and unlike some other turbo engines doesn't feel restricted. Once the tach needle gets half-way round the dial, the engine note rises surprisingly rapidly and won't quit until you near redline.

Renault has also done a great job in getting all that power and torque to the front wheels, the six-speed shifter is silky smooth and easy to operate with its short shifts, while the clutch feels firm under foot without being too cumbersome.

Exterior: 4/5

In terms of styling Renault has done a great job in designing a hot hatch that is sure to turn heads (in a good way) while finding a larger acceptance than any previous generation Mégane.

The test model we drove featured Renault's famous 'Sport Yellow' which contrasts well with the grey detailing featured on the front and rear bumpers.

The Mégane RenaultSport 250 is low slung and sleek, featuring a sporty body kit the includes a rear diffuser with a centre mounted exhaust pipe, rear window lip spoiler, sharp side skirts, a front bumper with an F1 inspired front splitter,LED daytime running lights and 19-inch alloys wheels.

Interior: 3.5/5

Inside, Renault has reflected the outside quite well, there is much the same motor racing style, with bright yellow seatbelts and matching yellow stitching on the Recaro bucket seats and centred on the sports steering wheel. The bright yellow treatment contuines onto the dash with the rev tachometer featuring a yellow background, which looks great against the red numbers and tacho needle.

The interior also features an adjustable multi-function leather steering wheel, leather wrapped gear knob with aluminium insert and drilled aluminium brake, clutch and accelerator peddles.

Like some of the other controls, the keyless entry system takes a bit of getting used to - push the keycard button to lock it manually and you have to do the same to unlock it. The Arkamys audio package is ok but not the best on offer.

Storage is what you would expect from a hatch – the glove box, centre box and the door pockets are pretty useless. While the boot space isn't too bad for a hatch, the split fold rear seats stop folding at about 45-degrees. Rear visibility isn't too good - and with no integrated Sat Nav available, there's no camera option either. But you do get reversing sensors.

Overall: 4/5

The Mégane RenaultSport 250 has that turbocharged power that brings a smile to your face evey time you hit boost, while it's rigid chassis provides optimum levels of handling performance.

The class leading bright red four-pot Brembo brakes on slotted rotors (front and back) can't be faulted and offer brilliant stopping power.

In terms of a hot hatch that can offer value for money, handling performance and day-to-day driving livability, the Mégane RenaultSport 250 certainly ticks all the right boxes. For a brand that is trying to built its presence in the Australian market the RenaultSport 250 is a step in the right direction.

Go out and test drive one today!