| Week at the Wheel | Mégane Sport Tourer 1.4 Dynamique Tom-Tom TCE |

Inside & Out:

Renault's styling direction has wandered around significantly in recent times as the brand searches for the definitive image that it needs. The Mégane has moved from relatively bland and bulbous, to J-Lo-esque and now somewhere in between in the latest iteration. In truth, the Sport Tourer ('estate' to you and me) strikes a fine blend between style and practicality with rakish lines wrapped around a spacious interior and a generous load space, aided by a useful loading height courtesy of the low lip of the boot.

On the inside things are equally rosy with sound ergonomics and a pleasing variety of surfaces and textures. As we found with the latest Laguna, Renault has really upped its game in the interior quality department. On the downside, the electronic speedo continues to divide opinion and the interface with the satnav isn't as intuitive as it could be, while visibility isn't great due to the thick pillars and the shape of the glasshouse. It's a continuing curiosity that Renault seems to be unable to engineer a parking brake that is straightforward to use. The electric version in this car takes a little getting used to and isn't as user friendly as a plain old lever, though the simple solution found in other Méganes also has its foibles.

Engine & Transmission:

Renault has been one of the first its range by downsizing and turbocharging the petrol engines. The 1.4-litre version, as tested, is rated at 130bhp at 5,500rpm with a peak torque figure of 140lb.ft at a lowly 2,250rpm. Those numbers reflect much of the engine's personality. They are relatively impressive outputs for a 1.4-litre engine and the engine speeds at which they are produced hint at the flexibility on offer.

In practice, once on boost, the engine feels like a bigger unit and delivers smooth, linear performance somewhat at odds with the engine capacity. This is something that is going to become more commonplace in our cars and will be welcomed by many - just remember that you need to change your mindset so you consider the outputs when looking at the price, rather than the engine size.

Ride & Handling:

As one would expect for a family car the Mégane errs on the side of comfort over outright handling and exhibits a fine ride with plenty of composure. The optional 17-inch rims on our test car do impact on the ride slightly but it remains on the right side of crashy with only the most abrupt of potholes causing any upset. There is no great drama or brilliance on show; it just does what you ask of it with the minimum of fuss and flair. For many, this is as much as you'd want in a family car. However, some will find the lack of cohesion and competence when compared to the perennial dynamic champion that is the Ford Focus a little bit of a let down, as is the amount of noise transmitted through the suspension.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

The benefit of downsizing should be an appreciable reduction in fuel consumption and this bears fruit when cruising - with figures in the mid to high 40s - and a CO₂ emissions figure of 153g/km, equating to VED band G. In everyday use around town things are not so impressive - at around 32mpg - and the advantage of the smaller engine is all but eliminated when you extend it to its full potential. Taking into account the engines outputs the asking price of £19,233 (£21,185 as tested) is in line with rivals, as you'd expect, and the quality and equipment levels are more than competitive. It's worth noting that we found an online price of around £17,000, so there's a suggestion that the Mégane can be made even more competitive with a little shopping around.

Overall:

There is much to like in the latest Renault Mégane. It looks and feels a class act and gives precious little away to the established competition. There are no obvious major weaknesses; only a lack of sparkle and charisma lets it down. As a family estate it makes all the sense in the world.