Renault Megane Sports Tourer Dynamique Tomtom Dci 130 (Price, as tested, £23,075)

10:47am Tuesday 16th March 2010

By Matt Westcott

RENAULT may have dispensed with the Meganes trademark posterior, but the rear end still remains the most eye-catching thing about their cars.

I'm not saying thats all French designers think about, but they certainly appear to put a great deal of thought into their booty.

Look at those eye catching light clusters and the plethora of curves, running all the way down from the spoiler to the bumper and tell me it doesnt float your boat.

OK, so this probably says more about me than it does you, but you can't deny it's a fine looking design.

The rest of the exterior is pretty enough, if largely unremarkable. It is identical to the hatch version up to the B-pillar, with the same bonnet, headlights and front bumper.

Renault says that the roofline, low-profile windows and rake of the rear windscreen are supposed to give an impression of forward movement and elegance and though this is clearly PR spin I can understand what they are trying to achieve.

While how the car looks on the outside is important, at the end of the day this is just about aesthetics. What matters most about an estate car is what it offers on the inside.

At more than 4.5m in length, there's plenty of room for four people and a decent amount for five. Extending the wheelbase, means theres greater legroom and the car's overall size means room in the boot is increased, too.

That all means that this makes for a car that is ideally suited for the long haul.

If you need to dispense with the rear seats to increase the load area, you can do so fairly easily. Although they do not fold entirely flat meaning you are left with a sloping area in which to stow your goods on.

On the plus side, all versions of the car are fitted with a forward-folding front passenger seatback, meaning you can carry items up 2,550mm in length.

Our Sports Tourer came laden with equipment, however, that is not the case the further down the food chain you go.

We got a top of the range CD audio system with Bluetooth, 17ins alloys; auto headlights and wipers, a hands-free entry card and reversing sensors. A smart TomTom satellite navigation system was also included, though I'm still not won over by its location on top of the dash, it having the appearance of an afterthought as opposed to something included by design.

The controls and buttons are largely easy to use, though the ones hidden behind the steering wheel still take some getting used to.

The engine-start stop button appears strangely located nearer to the passenger than the driver, though it remains within reach.

One gizmo that I did like was the way you can walk away from the car and it locks itself - something that I found extremely useful when carrying shopping or small children.

The materials used, though plastic, are of a decent quality and there's just enough silver trim to detract from the black.

The car's steering appears weighted to the centre, but, having driven a Land Rover Defender for a week prior to getting into the Megane, anything's an improvement. It turns crisply, meaning you can manoeuvre with a reassuring degree of certainty. Handling is fine, without being the best in its class.

The 1.9 litre diesel engine, in our test car, which is relatively quiet, had plenty of pulling power, making this the unit of choice.

Renault still has to win over some of its critics, but, if the Sports Tourer is anything to go by, theres certainly no need to give it the bum's rush.

SPECIFICATIONS: ENGINE: 1.9 litre diesel MAX POWER: 130bhp MAX TORQUE: 221lb/ft MAX SPEED: 127mph 0-62MPH: 9.8 seconds AVG FUEL CONSUMPTION: 55.4mpg (combined) EQUIPMENT (includes): 17ins alloys; Arkamys 3D sound radio CD with Bluetooth; automatic parking brake; Dual Zone climate control; parking sensors; ABS with EBD; deadlocking and engine immobiliser; ESP; airbags; brake assist; heated door mirrors; trip computer; keycard; 60:40 split-folding rear seats; Carminat TomTom satellite navigation system; cruise control; alarm; roof bars; electric windows; automatic headlights and wipers; leather steering wheel; front underfloor storage.