Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet road test

Despite our somewhat unpredictable climate, we Brits do love a convertible. This might seem a little odd, but if you drive in hotter southern European countries, regular alfresco driving will only get you sunstroke: what you really want there is a good aircon system. But as we only get really strong sunshine for a couple of weeks a year in total, as long as it’s dry, we can drive topless with impunity. As convertible sales have risen in the last decade, manufacturers have added variants to the model line-ups, which means drop-tops are no longer the sole preserve of sports cars: now you can get everything from a supermini to an executive saloon in convertible form. It is against this background that we greet the Renault Megane CC (coupe-cabriolet), the sixth and final member of the Megane family.

Powering the Megane CC is a range of three petrol and three diesel engines. Petrol engines comprise a 1.4-litre TCe that produces 128bhp and a 2.0-litre TCe producing 177bhp, both of which are turbocharged, plus a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre unit producing 138bhp, which is only available with a CVT (continuously variable transmission) gearbox. The diesels are a 1.5-litre dCi 110 producing 108bhp and 177lb-ft of torque, which is mated only with Renault’s new EDC dual-clutch automatic gearbox, a 1.9-litre dCi 130 with a 128bhp output and 221lb-ft of torque, and a 2.0-litre dCi 160 that generates 158bhp and 280lb-ft of torque. We were able to test just one of each type of engine, the turbocharged 1.4-litre TCe 130 petrol unit and the 2.0-litre dCi 160 diesel, both of which were fitted with six-speed manual gearboxes. The TCe 130 frankly struggled to pull the Megane CC along: the 128bhp just isn’t enough for what is, at over 1,500kg, a heavy car for its size (thanks to a folding metal hard-top). Better is the 158bhp 2.0-litre diesel that is very refined and smooth, and offers as much punch as most owners will need. In fact, it makes for a very casual, relaxed drive and matches the personality of the car almost perfectly.

Read the full Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet road test

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