SA Roadtests
South Africa
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Published in Weekend Witness Motoring on Saturday July 31, 2010
Until now, new Meganes offered a choice of just two engines – a not-very-inspiring 1,6 and a rather nice 1,9 turbodiesel. That has just changed with the introduction of a really pleasant 1,4 litre petrol turbomotor putting out 96 kW and 190 Nm. It’s not as potent as offerings from some competitors but it’s far less stressed and does what its target audience wants it to do – move a family-sized body like a competent two-litre while keeping fuel usage down to small car levels.
Let’s get the acronym out of the way; TCe stands for Turbo Control efficiency, linking better efficiency and fuel economy to high specific output with low operating and maintenance costs. The twin overhead camshaft, 16-valve engine has been optimised for high torque at low engine speeds, ensuring instant response with no lag and linear power delivery.
In real terms, the 1 397 cc four-cylinder unit is designed to perform to levels comparable with a normally aspirated 1,8-litre powerplant with power output of 96 kW, and a torque peak of 190 Nm equal to that of a 2,0-litre unit. Drive is to the front wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox.
As far as equipment goes, this Megane does well. One finds leather trim, twin channel air conditioning, Tomtom satnav, front seats adjustable for height with the driver’s chair boasting lumbar support adjustment (a bit hard to get to the lever, but it can be done), height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel with satellite buttons for cruise control and Bluetooth, trip computer with the usual functions except instant economy readout, ABS, EBA, EBD, ESP, six airbags, 5-star EuroNCAP rating, seat belt pretensioners with load limiters, foldaway outside electric mirrors, power windows all ‘round, ISOFIX anchorages on the outer rear seats, and a really big boot for what is essentially a small-to-medium family car, at 405 dm3 . Loading is easy thanks to a fairly low sill and a wide aperture. As expected, the back seats fold in the usual 40/60 split to extend loading space.
Servicing becomes almost easy to forget, with oil and filter changes every 30 000 km, and plug and air filter swaps every 60 000 km. Although the service plan keeps you going for 5 years or 100 000 km, you won’t get to use it much.
Interior and exterior styling is obviously a matter of taste, but I found the car very attractive on both counts, with none of the glaring vulgarity sometimes found on cars aimed at younger buyers. Dynamically, it has all the performance and handling ability one needs in a family chariot. My only reservation is that rear seat legroom is a little cramped for the fully grown, but should be more than enough for average sized users and those with young families.
Some of the little features I liked were the quick-acting front and rear screen defrosters that de-iced both in next to no time one recent chilly morning, the autolocking function that not only locks all doors as you pull off, but also locks them as you walk away from the vehicle with the smart key in your pocket. I also liked the way the outside mirrors fold away as you shut down, to make them less susceptible to parking lot morons. I know this feature is fairly common, but it’s not usual on cars at this price level.
Altogether, this is a brilliant family car that runs well and is officially very light on fuel, but it’s just too much fun to drive frugally. It’s also well equipped and reasonably priced.
The numbers
Price: R249 900
Engine: 1 397 cc twin cam, 16 valve, petrol, turbocharged
Power: 96 kW at 5 500 rpm
Torque: 190 Nm at 2 250 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9,6 seconds
Maximum speed: 200 km/h
Car magazine fuel index: 7,9 l/100 km
Real world fuel consumption: about 8,7 l/100 km
Music: Radio/CD with RCA input
Warranty: 5 years/150 000 km
Service plan: 5 years/100 000 km
This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.
What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.
So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8