Review: Mégane Coupé Cabriolet

Renault has recently been renewing its fleet, moving away from the angular lines that got so many mixed feedbacks, and entering an era of smooth, sexy design cues. The final addition to the six new body types, but certainly not the least, is the new Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet.

With a price tag lower than any of its direct competitors, (Volkswagen Eos, Mini Cooper Cabriolet, Audi A3 Cabriolet, BMW 320i Cabriolet and its other French counterpart, the Peugeot 308cc) the Renault has the first advantage in the convertible category.

At first sight and with the top up, the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet suggests fashion and style. The two-tone style given by the black top gives the impression that the top is always down and draws stares like a model on a catwalk.

Although the signature Mégane front end and smooth design lines running along the side of the car make it look very light and sporty, the rear looks, unfortunately, a bit heavy. Hopefully, the sleek LED tail lights help keeping a nice consistency with the rest of the design.

This attention-getter comes not only with a hard-top, but it is also equipped with a 0.47m² sunroof, which gives a very enjoyable feeling of space and brightness when the weather does not allow a top-down excursion.

The magic of this car is, of course, when you pull the switch that initiates the quick 21 seconds strip-tease (fastest in its category) which stores the folding hard-top in the boot. The storing-away process of the hard roof is a bit intimidating at first, requiring you to make sure you have room behind the car as the boot opens backwards at a 45 degree angle, potentially hitting objects in the way. Once the operation is done, and after a second pull of the button, all four windows come down and the million-dollar Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet experience can start.

Forget about high speed, mind numbing acceleration; the 2 litre four-cylinder 16V engine might develop 140hp at 6,000rpm and 195Nm of torque from 3,750rpm, the sheer weight of the car eats away the performance. Then again, after the first drive, you'll notice that this is not what the Mégane CC is all about. This convertible's home ground is cruising with the top down, and it sure does a remarkable job doing so to a point where you don't even feel the need to press hard on the accelerator, relax, and enjoy the ride. One thing you can trust Renault on is a precise and firm steering feel, and once again, the French manufacturer hits home, giving you great control of the heavy convertible's position on the road. In addition to this, the six-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) gear box allows for smooth shifting, and when you want to have a bit more fun, you can always switch it to semi-sequential, turning twisty roads into fun and enjoyable episodes in your drive. Just note that you will have to drop gears more often than you think on the twisties to keep the Mégane in the right pace.

The Mégane CC experience doesn't stop there: thanks to its fixed glass wind deflector, the noise and wind turbulence when driving with the top down is greatly reduced, keeping ladies' hair in check and conversations at a very enjoyable normal level while driving. Music enthusiasts will also rejoice in the high quality sound system composed of eight speakers giving a crisp and loud 3D sound which doesn't get drowned by outside noises.

Put all this together and you will look forward to every single ride, especially when the sun shines and you can drive with the top down and the music up. Believe me, you might actually end up looking for the longest way to wherever you are heading, just to be able to enjoy the ride and the people's stares following you as you drive by.

Best of all, to help you find the longest (or shortest) way, the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet comes with a built-in TomTom GPS, equipped with a clear screen and intuitive controls. The Renault is also equipped with a USB and audio jack input for auxiliary audio devices, coupled with Bluetooth for your phone, allowing you to use the car speakers and the build in microphone to safely handle your calls while driving. The sad part is that the Bluetooth and auxiliary line-in controlled, on the driver's side, by a small handle located behind the steering wheel, are clearly not as intuitive as the TomTom GPS and quite slow to operate, forcing you to divert your attention off of the road to see what is happening on the main screen.

Seating-wise, the car is what's expected of a Coupé-Cabriolet: comfortable front seats, and rear seats that suffer from a limited leg room, making this car very enjoyable for two occupants, and less for the two passengers in the rear, especially for long drives. Don't worry though, if your passengers are kids, they shouldn't have any problems fitting in the rear, and if they need child seats, you will be thankful for the incorporated Isofix 3-point mounting points on the two rear seats that will save you the hassle of fidgeting with the car for half-an-hour before each ride.

If you decide to go on a longer road trip with the topless beauty, the 417 litres boot will greet your luggage with a low sill, making the loading of heavier bags much easier. Then again, if you want to enjoy the wind in your hair, you will have to make sure the boot divider is rolled out (this is a safety measure to ensure that nothing will hinder the roof storing process and break whatever is inside the boot, the roof mechanism or both) and your boot space will almost be reduced by half, to a less convenient 211 litres.

Other than the 206 litres boot space to compromise on to enjoy the wind in your hair, the reduced rear seats' leg room, slow USB and Bluetooth interface and the heavy chassis, the very reasonably priced Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet will give you a blast when cruising thanks to its enjoyable and precise steering, smooth gearbox, great sound system and attention-grabbing looks. The car will surely seduce you with its bright and spacious feel given by the panoramic roof when the top is up and, of course, the million-dollar feeling of cruising with the top down.