Time to give this Megane a test drive

NEW car sales are down all over Europe and it’s the same in Ireland. Sales figures for January were down 18 per cent on 2012.

We were told that people were worried about Triskaidekaphobia fear of the number 13; so after many years of appeals from the motoring trade the Government eventually changed the registration system to try and get away from the trend where the majority of new car sale transactions occurred in the first few months of the year.

Now we will have to wait until July to see if people are putting off buying a new car until they can have a 132 D reg. We keep hearing anecdotal evidence that people have lots of money stashed away and for the more adventurous among you with money

‘hidden away’ in some mattress I think that maybe you should splash out and get a Renault Megane GT Line where the seats are as comfortable as any mattress!

The Megane has undergone a number of style changes for 2013 and Renault say it’s now the most fuel-efficient car in its class. And it’s hard to disagree as the fuel gauge is the slowest moving item on the dash, which is dominated by an impressive-looking TomTom Sat Nav. On the open road you should get up to 80 miles per gallon which is excellent, while in heavy traffic that figure will naturally drop significantly.

New styling sees the front end get a more modern feel with LED daytime running lights adding to the overall attractive look. It was dusk when I picked up the test car and I thought it was black, but it turned out to be a nice shade of brown. I wouldn’t say it was a hot hatch, but it’s cute.

The interior is much the same as any new Renault and the sporty-looking front seats in the GTLine version will help you find a really comfortable driving position. In the back there is just about enough room for three medium-sized adults. There is a decent sized boot and you get a full-size spare wheel.

Power is provided by a 1.5 litre diesel engine, which is the same engine that powers the best-selling Nissan Qashqai. This is the first Renault model to get the stop-start petrol and diesel engines. You also get Bluetooth technology and a motorway mode indicator where a slight touch of the indicator stalk sets off three flashes to warn other road users that the driver is about to change lane.

On the road this is a neat motor that handles well. Renault claim that with carefully-tuned acoustics, their new engines produce a discreet, cushioned sound. So the road noise must have been coming from the tyres? My daughter reminded me that the radio was off; ah the radio is a great man to kill any road noise.

Prices for the Megane start at

?¬18,990, while the four-door GTLine version I drove will cost you

?¬24,190. The new Megane Hatch, Coupe and Grand Megane are available to test drive now from

?¬189 per month on the ReFlex personal contract plan with Renault Finance.

So if you can remember which mattress you hid that money in, take some out and give the Megane GTLine a test drive.