2017 Renault Megane GT-Line Review | Solid All-Rounder Is Let Down By Its Price
An all-rounder is well-appreciated on the cricket field, and in the automotive world the Renault Megane GT-Line aims to impress with fine batting and bowling equivalents.
In this case the regular Megane targets being comfortable and practical, while the GT-Line model grade promises to add a little bit of sporting flair and style. This $30,000-plus five-door hatchback isn’t as ruthlessly pragmatic and affordable as the entry-level models, yet it isn’t as hardcore and expensive as Renault Sport versions.
Renault acknowledges that many rivals clamour within the small car space, with the traditional Mazda3 SP25 GT and Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line, and the new Hyundai i30 SR and Holden Astra RS-V, all keen to be at the top of a buyer’s order.
Is the Megane GT-Line canny enough to catch its foes out on the full?
Vehicle Style: Small hatchback
Price: $32,490 plus on-road costs
Engine/trans: 97kW/205Nm 1.2 4cyl turbo petrol | 7sp dual-clutch automatic
Fuel Economy Claimed: 5.6 l/100km | Tested: 7.9 l/100km
OVERVIEW
The upper-middle-tier Megane GT-Line costs $32,490 plus on-road costs. It adds $5000 to the price of the one-grade-below Megane Zen but shares with it a 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Meanwhile it also costs $6000 less than the Megane GT, poaching its sports exterior styling cues, Nappa leather steering wheel, beefy sports seats and the like, but without its faster 1.6-litre turbo engine.