Oxfordshire’s Renault F1 team might not be back at the front of the grid just yet, but road cars bearing the Renault Sport badge are leading the field.

The sleek Mégane GT Sport Tourer estate version of Renault’s fourth generation family car heads a 25-strong UK line-up with power, technology and not a little Gallic style.

Step over the chrome ‘Renault Sport’ door sill plate, slot into the suede-covered grey and blue-stitched bucket sport seat, then fire up the engine start button to light up 200 horsepower of turbocharged engine.

The GT tested here, which had a fast-acting, seven-speed automatic gearbox complete with steering wheel-mounted paddles, also boasts four-wheel steering and is instantly recognisable from the outside by a set of 18-inch ‘Daytona’ diamond-cut alloy wheels.

Inside, the cabin is crafted in high-quality, soft-touch materials – including leather-trimmed steering wheel trim – chrome detailing and foam-backed dashboard, armrests and door panel trims.

Tap the RS Drive button on the dashboard and the instrumentation instantly glows red as the car switches to sport mode – one of five driving types on tap – modifying everything from accelerator pedal, engine response and speed of gear change, to engine sound, steering weight and even the colour of the interior lighting in sepia, red, blue, purple and green.

In the centre of the dashboard sits an 8.7-inch portrait touchscreen display through which the many features of the multimedia system, including satellite navigation, telephone and audio, can be controlled.

The system includes voice recognition for the navigation, telephone, apps and radio and comes with larger loudspeakers than the previous Mégane. The test car came with an optional Bose sound system with a central front speaker, six more speakers located around the cabin and a subwoofer in the boot to deliver an oomph from the audio to match what’s under the bonnet.

Even in the default ‘neutral’ driving mode, the GT is a power-packed rocketship capable of swift acceleration and quiet, long-distance cruising with ample space for five adults and loads of luggage.

Built in Palencia, Spain, alongside the Kadjar, the GT comes with a range of high-end safety and convenience features from adaptive cruise control, full LED headlights and lane departure warning to hands free parking, blind spot warning, active emergency braking and rear parking camera.

The Mégane Sport Tourer takes many of its exterior and interior design cues from Renault’s executive-class D-segment models and compared to its predecessor, it is 67mm longer and identical in width, with an 11m extension in wheelbase and a lower roofline.

Bootspace remains unchanged, with a new, more versatile two-position boot floor. Selecting the high position creates a flat floor when the rear seat is folded to help the loading of bulky items with further storage space beneath the floor. Setting the floor in its lower position creates maximum load volume in a single area.

There are also storage bins on each side of the boot, next to the wheel arches and, as an option, a luggage safety net that can be used vertically. It is also possible to separate the boot into two compartments, front and rear, to prevent items from sliding around.

Handles located in the boot area, enables simple unlocking and automatic folding of the 60/40-split rear seat.

Prices for the Sport Tourer range start at about £18,500 and just to remind you of Renault’s F1 aspirations every time you refuel, the Mégane brings F1-style technology to everyday road cars with a capless, spring-loaded fuel filler on all versions.

 

Auto facts

Model: Renault Mégane Sport Tourer GT Nav TCe 205 Auto

Price: £27,740

Insurance group: 27E (1-50)

Fuel consumption (combined): 47.1mpg

Top speed: 143mph

Length: 462.6cm/182.1in

Width: 181.4cm/71.4in

Luggage capacity: 18.4cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 11 gallons/50 litres

CO2 emissions: 134g/km

Warranty: Four years/100,000 miles