Three months after the car's debut, we have in-depth information to pass along about the new Renault Megane Estate. The Estate comes with a choice of many, many different engines -fourteen, to be precise- meant to give new customers a choice between power and efficency.
Customers can purchase the Megane Estate with the 1.5-liter diesel dCi engine tuned to either 85, 90, 105, or 110 horsepower, all of which produce less than 130g CO2 per 100km. The four engines use between 4.4 and 4.8 liters of fuel per 100km, extending the vehicle's range to about 1,200km. The first two get a five-speed manual transmission as standard, while a six-speed is standard on the others. Unfortunately, dual-clutch transmission is not immediately available on the car. Customers opting to purchase the vechicle with the dCi 110 will be able to get the transmission beginning in 2010.
You can step up to the 1.9 liter dCi engine for 130 horsepower and up to 300 Nm of torque, thanks to a curved blade turbocharger which supposedly gives the driver a rapid increase in power. Still need more power? How about the 150 and 160 hp variants of the 2.0-liter dCi with the same turbo, and either 360 or 380 Nm?
Maybe you would prefer a petrol powertrain. Renault offers six different options, including the 130 hp 1.4 liter Turbo Control efficency (TCe), the 100 and 110hp variants of the 1.6 liter 16V engine (also available as an E85 biofuel unit), or the 140 hp 2.0-liter CVT model. Truly interesting is the 2.0-liter TCe that produces 180 hp and 300 Nm with twin-scroll turbo and a continuously variable camshaft angle for ideal airflow.
Outside, the vehicle has some interesting exterior styling, especially when viewed from the side. Renault says the car has "a plunging roofline," but we disagree. The roofline does drop from the front, which gives the driver 890mm of headroom. But the drop is much more gentle than the car maker implies. Easy access is thus given to all of the vehicle's seats and its hatch.
The car is significantly longer than the conventional Megane models, has plenty of legroom, and an excess of elbow space. Luggage space is a large 524 liters, but lower down the rear seats and that number jumps to 1,595 liters.
Renault has opted to manufacture this car at their plant in Palencia, Spain. Located halfway between Madrid and the Basque region, workers at the Palencia facility are already building the Renault Megane Hatchback and Coupe. By doing this, Renault hopes to streamline the Megane building process, translating to a better car.
The new Renault Megane Estate will be available by the end of June, with a wide range of standard and optional equipment. Those interested can find many more details in the press release below.
Source: Renault
]
]
] [
]
