Test drive: Renault Mégane Sport Tourer GT

There is an immediate repulsiveness to this car and that is why call it a Sport Tourer instead of an estate. It's already trying too much and you haven't even had a proper look at it yet. Even though you could probably abbreviate it to ST, therein lies this cars problem. But we'll get to that later. I've never been a fan of these small family estates. You obviously buy it because you need or think you need space for moving furniture, dogs, aquarium tanks or what have you. But then there's the question why not buy a three year old second hand proper estate such as a Mondeo or a Passat. Don't even try to get me started on the Clio or Ibiza estates. I already have a negative attitude towards this car but it does have some redeeming qualities.

Renault Mégane Sport Tourer GT in Iron Blue

Starting with the looks. The French have managed to design a very quirky and engaging car to look at. It is beautifully proportioned and with those unique head and rear-lights it truly stands out from the bunch. It looks stylish without compromising the practicality of the thing. What looks like a lack of the d-pillar gives it an effect where it looks like glass envelops the entire top side of the car. Very

The white part of the screen is the sat-nav

sci-fi and UFO type stuff. Sort of the same can be said of the interior. The i-pad sized touch-screen and few buttons gives it a nice upmarket feel. Although I must say the center console display thing is quite confusing at first. And I can already see the material around the screen becoming peppered with finger-prints.

No doubting what car it is when the badge is that enormous.

This GT-model has all the techy stuff as standard. And as the GT-model it also has the top of the line 1.6 litre turbocharged engine developing a respectable 205 PS. This top-spec car also gives you the freedom to choose between different driving-modes. Which is something I feel every car has and somehow we should be excited about it. Anyhow, in this Mégane Sport Tourer GT stay away from the large touch screen button that says Sport. The cars 7-speed paddleshift gearbox will not now what is up and what is down. The ride which is perfectly decent for this car will be ruined. Coupled that with the body-hugging sport seats and your Renault GT will make you mental. Which makes the entire concept of the GT obsolete. It feels that the engine and gearbox do not get along all that well. The engine is happiest when overtaking in comfort mode. Here the engine works well with the gearbox and the car can make use most of the turbo grunt of which it has 280 Nm. The only enjoyable feature of the Sport button is that it enhances the rather fruity noise of that four-pot turbo.  

The rear is very unique. I also like the single exhaust.

This tech and the very apparent nature of it is very impressive but also the cars downfall. The fact that Renault has made a hot Mégane estate is very well and good but this a case of better idea than execution. There is nothing wrong in wanting the Mégane estate even though it isn't the most practical of the bunch. But there is only money lost if you buy the Sport Tourer GT.

PS. The price of this car is quite substantial, almost 40 000€ over here...