Renault Mégane: Now you see it. Now you don't

Some Renaults go down in history as examples of design so individual they could be mistaken for nothing else. When "foreign" cars weren't so common here, you could always recognise a Renault for its wonderfully French functionality: a Renault 16 which looked as if it could ski if turned upside-down, a Renault 4 with which to ignore speed bumps, a Renault 5 with pioneering plastic bumpers.

The most recent Renault Mégane is in this mould. Not everyone likes its bustle-back tail, but the sight of a Mégane with its tailgate open, seen side on, is intriguing because it looks as if the tail has been neatly chopped off with a single vertical cut.

Being so unlike anything else, the design has hardly dated. But now its time is up and there's a new, third-generation Mégane. Renault makes much of the new car's eye-catching look, but I guarantee that if you stare at the picture on this page, then close your eyes, you won't remember quite what the new Mégane looks like. Not every past Renault has been distinctive, including the first Mégane and its Renault 19 predecessor, and this one joins that category.

There will soon be a coupé version, as with the first Mégane, and that promises more visual pizzazz. For now, though, we must be content with the five-door hatchback and accept that the overload of front-end shapes and lines is there mainly to disguise the excessive front overhang. At least the black wedge at the base of the doors, and the stark tail with its wraparound lights and window plunging low in the middle, give some visual feelgood.

Fine. So what's special about the new Mégane? The dashboard features a neat instrument panel, in which the conventional rev counter on the left is overlapped by a round, similarly sized LCD screen containing a digital speedometer and electronic representations in pixels of normal-looking fuel and engine temperature gauges. There's a speed-warning device which you can pre-set to the speed you feel it prudent not to exceed; as speed rises, red segments flash when you reach your limit.

Other technology-heavy items are the automatic electric parking brake and a development of the keyless entry/exit system. Previously you touched a button on a door handle to lock or unlock your Mégane, provided you had the key card somewhere about your person. You can still do that if you don't trust the next bit, but now you can just walk away and it will lock itself. Unlocking merely requires a hand near the handle to activate a proximity sensor.

Both 1.5-litre turbodiesel engines are rated below 120g/km CO2, and the 1.9-litre one manages 134g/km despite its lively 130bhp. There are two 1.6-litre petrol engines separated by just 10bhp (100 and 110) and at the top of the initial range is the 2.0-litre, turbocharged TCE 180 engine available only in sporty Dynamique trim.

I drove this Mégane, with its low-profile tyres and 12mm-lower suspension, and the dCi 130 diesel; I discovered cars greatly improved over the old models in their driving characteristics. These predecessors were launched with artificial-feeling steering which bore scant relation to what was happening at the front tyres, making them worrying cars to drive on a slippery surface. The hot Renaultsport versions used a different system that felt massively better, and now the new Méganes have an arrangement that achieves something of the Renaultsport feel by different means.

It uses better sensors and much faster electronics to calculate the required power assistance, and a stiffer frontal structure further improves accuracy. The result is a car that feels great to drive, with keen handling and a supple ride. The TCE 180 feels sharper and its engine is a punchy, smoothly spinning delight, while the diesel is a relaxed, loping machine.

These are good cars with a quality of finish to match its starting price of £17,895. But do they flood you with a rush of desire? No, nor me.

The rivals

Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi: from £18,095

Still the best all-round car in the class for its mix of equipment, quality and driving pleasure.

Hyundai i30 2.0 CRDi: from £15,155

Looks good, is right up to class standards for pace, poise and comfort, well finished, terrific value.

Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI: from approximately £19,000

New Golf looks sharper than before, is quiet and luxurious. Expensive, though.