RENAULT MEGANE CC LETS TOP GO

Renault’s latest Megane is now being sold as a Coupe Convertible or CC. The previous-generation Megane also came with a CC, which was pretty, if not a little clunky to drive. Without having a chance to drive the new car I cannot say much about that. But I was able to get up close and take a sincere look. And from where I stood, the new Megane CC is as pretty as they come.

Most notable about the CC is the hard roof, most of which is made of folding high-gloss tinted glass. In fact the glass area is the largest in its class. Good news if you like constant light coming from above, but bad news if you are the less flamboyant type. A light filtering system is supposed to minimise the amount of sunlight protruding but since my ride was confined to the night, I could not tell. It opens/ closes at the touch of a button, within 22 seconds.

Dimension wise it measures 4.49 metres long and has a wheelbase of 2.6m. Often these kinds of

cars don’t offer much in the sense of rear legroom but after spending ten minutes at the back end of things I didn’t feel all cramped up. Boot space is also said to be generous, even with the roof down.

At the front end is the new 1.4 TCe 16 valve turbo engine of petrol persuasion, gunning 96kW at 5500rpm, and pushing out 190Nm of torque at 2250rpm. Mated to it is a 6-speed manual which helps it achieve an average fuel consumption number of 7.3 litres per 100km. C02 emissions are 169g/km.

Interior features include dual-zone, three-mode climate control, an automated parking brake, in integrated Arkamys audio system worth 140W (with a USB input slot), Bluetooth connectivity, a Carminat TomTom navigation system that displays on a 147mm colour screen.

Safety systems include roll-over hoops at the rear, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control and multi airbags.

The new Renault Megane CC counts among its rivals, the aged Volkswagen Eos and fellow Frenchman Peugeot 308 CC. To a lesser extent the BMW 3 Series Convertible is also counted among them.

Renault Megane CC Pricing

CC (R359 900)