French flair

Unable to post pictures until now, so I'll have to submit wordy enties from now on.

Renault Megane Sport 5 Door (225hp/300nm)

Sat in 1 last month.

First impressions:

Not a great fan of the near vertical rear screen. Comes with Brembo 4 pots as standard. As its not the R 26 R megane, it looks rather dull. Looks similar to the 1.6 version other than central twin tailpipes. Inside feels very Japanese. Plastic feels hollow and it seems that the French doesn't feel bothered with the interior design at all.

On the move:
the driving/seating position is way too high. You feel on the car rather than in it. Fabric seats are not wrapped around enough, so body roll during fast cornering was expected. i will have to say that it feels like an SUV rather than a performance hot hatch. However, stopping power thanks to the silver painted Brembos were excellent. Really gives the driver more confidence. Turbo lag is non existent courtesy of the light pressure turbo. Rather torqey (especially when pulling away from 3rd gear), but not as "pinned to the back" as the big turbo Japs.

Pros:

- ample power for Singapore roads.
- easy to handle at low speeeds

Cons:

- cheap plastic aplenty
- Many other well built and more satisfying hatch backs in the market.

Verdict:

4/10


(Will post a review on the Mini Cooper S soon after a test drive)