Renault Megane review

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Megane is that the seats are delightfully supportive, but rather racier than might strictly be necessary given the kind of car this is. Generous bolsters and supple materials make them very pleasant, but at the same time might make it a little more difficult if you’ve got kids in the back to pass snacks to or yell at. Space in the rear is on par for the class, though.

Material quality has always been good/average for this generation of Megane, and the new one improves only things a little – the climate controls now have better clarity. But the thing is, with the VW Group having moved backwards in material quality the Megane's main opposition in this department has had its foot off the gas. The latest version of the Peugeot 308 should bring the competition right to the Megane’s door.

Are there giant screens?

The latest Megane has benefited from the introduction of bigger screens for the driver display and the centre touch infotainment, but there’s still some work to be done on the UI and responsiveness. The central screen is neither particularly intuitive nor quick to react, which is especially annoying on the move. Looks good, though.  

The boot of the Sport Tourer isn’t that big for an estate. It carries the PHEV charge cables neatly under the floor so the main compartment isn't compromised. It's got a decent set of hooks, a net and subdividers. But if you need a max space in this class of car, think about the Peugeot 308 estate or Skoda Octavia.