Renault Megane Sport Tourer (2016 – 2022) Review

The Renault Megane Sport Tourer is the expected spin-off from the Megane hatch, designed to compete in the congested compact estate segment that is dominated by cars like the Volkswagen Golf Estate, Ford Focus Estate and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer. It builds on the stylish exterior of the original hatchback while adding useful extra space. It’s looks are a big part of its appeal and the interior is also attractive, but the rest of the package is lacking make it hard to recommend over several of its rivals. It’s not the most spacious or the best to drive, although it does represent good value for money.

In a world dominated by SUVs you'd be forgiven for thinking that smaller estates like the Megane Sport Tourer have had their day. And while it's true they're not as popular with UK buyers as they are in the rest of Europe, they're in demand enough that the likes of Volkswagen, Ford and Kia all sell an estate version of their family hatchbacks.

It's a neatly designed wagon that's easy on the eye, but what stands out is its value for money. Prices start from around £20,000 and even entry-level models at this price are well equipped, undercutting many of its key rivals and putting it in contention with brands that are considered more value propositions.

There were originally six engines in the range, starting with a 130PS 1.2 TCe petrol while the sporty GT version has 205PS from a 1.6-litre engine. This gets a four-wheel steering system called 4Control, designed to make the car feel more agile, whether on a twisting road or in tight urban traffic.

The cheapest diesel was the 1.5-litre dCi 110. The diesels make sense for big mileage drivers and the 1.5-litre unit is impressively quiet as well as economical and was also available with the EDC automatic gearbox.

In 2019, the Megane Sport Tourer range was simplified with just two engines now available - the TCe 140 or the dCi 115 - both with either a six-speed manual or six-speed EDC automatic. The TCe makes the most sense for the vast majority of drivers plus it is quiet and more than quick enough.

Boot space remains the same as the old Megane estate at 580 litres. That's not the biggest around, but it's very useable with no load lip and extra storage under the boot floor. The load length has been improved over the previous model however, and there is also a flip up section to prevent items falling over and rolling around in the back.

The quality of the interior is one of the Megane Sport Tourer’s best features. It’s true that there are some harder plastics lower down, but the dash and door tops have soft touch materials while the steering wheel and gear lever are a big step up in quality compared to the previous Megane.

Higher specification models also feature an attractive portrait-style touchscreen, and although it might not be the best in terms of functionality it feels like a classy addition to the cabin.

There are a few niggles, the infotainment system could be better while the high clutch pedal isn't great, but overall the Renault is a comfortable and easy to live with family hauler.

It may not be as sharp as a Focus Estate but unless you're throwing this into corners, you're unlikely to notice the difference.

The steering doesn't have much in the way of natural feel but it's reasonably well weighted and is responsive enough to give you confidence when tackling a bend, with decent levels of grip unless really pushed.

What's not so great is the spongy feel of the gear change, which is strange as the gear shift itself is positive, The Megane Sport Tourer also suffers from a high clutch pedal - a classic Renault trait. It's not awful, but if you're sitting in traffic a lot, you'll soon find it annoying. It's why we'd suggest the EDC dual-clutch automatic gearbox if you'll be driving in town mostly.

While the Megane Sport Tourer is far from being 'sporty' higher spec models do come with  selectable driving modes which alter the throttle, steering and - with an automatic - the gear change timings.

There's an individual setting so you can have your own set up, but as with most of these systems, you are best leaving it in standard mode for the majority of the time.

If you're doing big mileages, the 1.5 dCi is the engine to go for. With its small capacity and modest output (originally 110PS and later upped to 115PS) you’d expect to be a clattery stinker. Instead it puts many four-cylinder diesels to shame on the noise suppression front, including one or two found in premium cars.

It's economical too - you should be seeing more than 50mpg - and while not remotely quick on paper, the dCi engines are strong enough to haul the car to motorway speeds in fuss-free fashion.

Choose a petrol you'll be looking at the 1.2 TCe with either 130PS, or from 2019 140PS. It may seem small on paper, but the turbocharged engine gives the Megane more than enough power for both around town and the motorway.

Although a little noisy on start up, it settles down to a hush on the move, making the Megane smooth and easy to drive. It may not have the same zest or character as Volkswagen's TSI units, but it provides ample acceleration and is quiet at a steady 70mph.

EuroNCAP tested the Megane in 2015 and awarded a full five-star rating, with scores of 88 per cent for adult occupant protection and 79 per cent for child occupant protection. Pedestrian mitigation was also scored at an impressive 71 per cent with an identical score for safety assist.

On the safety assist side, all versions of the Megane Sport Tourer are fitted with ESC as standard, while the amount of safety equipment increases depending on the trim level.

Iconic models add the Visio System pack, which includes lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam for the headlights, while an optional packs include features like automatic emergency braking, safe distance warning, blind spot warning and adaptive cruise control.

There’s a similar towing capacity across the Megane Sport Tourer range, and because there’s no real high power or four-wheel-drive version, it’s probably not the best choice if you plan to tow regularly.

All versions can tow a maximum of 1,700kg braked, while the unbraked limit varies between 680kg for the TCe up to 745kg for the Blue dCi with the automatic EDC gearbox.

While the Megane's boot standard capacity of 580 litres may not be the biggest around (the Kia Ceed boasts 625 litres), the Renault has a few tricks up its sleeve to make that space useful.

For starters the load area has vertical sides with no intrusions, so it's easy to pack the boot full and know you are actually able to use that space.

The boot floor is in line with the rear bumper so there's no load lip to worry about - it means you can slide heavy items out rather then straining your back to lift them. And under the boot floor there's more extra storage, plus a hinged section that flips up means you can separate the boot into two sections and stop things moving about.

For those sat in the back, the problem becomes one of rear legroom. With a tall driver (or passenger) in the front and the seat pushed back, there's limited space. It's no better or worse than any other estate of this size, but it's worth noting if you're regularly going to be carrying taller passengers in the back.

It's neatly designed too with a coherent layout that gets all the basics right. The driving position is good, the instruments are easy to read and all the main controls, such as the air con, are simple to use. Go for all but the entry level model and the traditional instrument dials are replaced with a customisable screen which has a nice clear digital speed display in the middle.

The Renault infotainment system isn't the best either. It's far from intuitive, which isn't that much of an issue once you get used to it, but it's not especially attractive and some functions, such as changing the driving modes, seem overly complicated.

On the plus side, newer versions come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, handy as you can bypass the Renault navigation system which looks pretty terrible. The highest-spec version has a portrait screen which looks fancy, although the menu system isn’t as easy to use as some rival offerings.

The Megane Sport Tourer starts at £20,495 for the Play TCe 140 version with a manual gearbox, which is highly competitive, whie the same trim with the Blue dCi 115PS engine is £22,195.

The Iconic trim starts at £21,495 for the petrol and £23,195 for the diesel, while the top spec GT Line trim is £23,295 in petrol form and £24,995 for the diesel. On the options front, the key safety packs are £250 and £400 respectively, while the upgraded audio system is £600.

As for used examples, the Megane Sport Tourer has been on sale since  so there are a good number of used examples to choose from.

A quick search classified ads revealed several examples of virtually new models with delivery mileage only. We found a 1.3 TCe petrol model in high-spec GT Line trim with less than 10 miles on the clock for just £16,000 - a saving of £7000 over list price.

At the other end of the scale, even the earliest models which are now past the warranty period and are just having their first MoTs there are bargains to be had. We found a 2017 model in Dynamique Nav trim with the 1.5-litre dCi engine and 40,000 miles for a fraction over £9000. 

The 1.3-litre petrol claims a maximum combined figure of 47.1mpg so you should see over 40mpg without too much effort. If you choose the automated EDC gearbox this figure drops slightly to 44.8mpg combined.

The 1.5-litre diesel is significantly better as you would expect, with a combined maximum figure of 64.3mpg - that should mean you can achieve the high end of 50mpg in the real world. If you specify the EDC gearbox with this engine the figure drops more significantly to 58.9mpg.

It’s a similar story for insurance groupings, with two engines and three trim levels. The basic Play trim in 1.5-litre diesel form is in group 16, while the petrol is in group 18 whether you choose an automatic or manual gearbox.

Iconic trim is in the same groups, while the GT Line trim is in group 16 for the diesel but the petrol moves up to group 19. That means insurance premiums for the Sport Tourer should be on the low side, although this is partly there are no versions with particularly high performance.

Play versions have a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability and USB and AUX ports, 16-inch ‘Dakota’ alloy wheels, automatic dual-zone climate control, Hands Free keycard, height and lumbar adjustable driver and passenger seats, Bluetooth, auto-adaptive airbags for driver and front passenger, cruise control, ESP, front fog lights, heated rear screen, Hill Start Assist, LED daytime running lights, central rear armrest with cupholder, front centre armrest with storage, 60:40 split folding rear seats.

Iconic has 17-inch ‘Florida’ diamond-cut alloy wheels, Multi-Sense system providing driving mode selector and ambient lighting choices, R-LINK2 multimedia system with seven-inch touchscreen with TomTom LIVE sat-nav and Western European mapping, automatic headlights, automatic wipers, electronic parking brake, rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, automatic high/low beam, electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors, seven-inch TFT screen in place of traditional speedometer and Arkamys 3D sound with 4x35W speakers. 

GT Line versions have dark chrome door mirrors, more muscular front and rear bumpers with silver rear diffuser, sport seats, exclusive GT Line cloth upholstery, chrome door sills, sport seats with integrated head rest, extra tinted rear and tailgate windows and 8.7-inch portrait touchscreen with R-LINK2 Navigation.