Renault Megane Sport Tourer GT

There are few rivals for this racy estate right now – the new Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus load-carriers are some way off, so the Mégane is filling a gap in the market. However, its high price and numb steering make it a niche choice at best. The lesser Dynamique can be specified with grippy seats and sports styling via the GT Line option: it costs much less to buy and run than the GT, and does without its harsh ride.

Renault is hoping to increase the appeal of its warm hatch GT badge by offering it across the Mégane range, including in Sport Tourer guise.

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There aren’t many fast small estates on the market, but with a roomy 486-litre boot and 0-62mph sprint time of less than nine seconds, this Mégane promises to deliver an enticing blend of practicality and fun. We drove the coupé version of the diesel GT in Issue 1,127 and it left us a little cold – yet adding an extra set of doors and a bigger boot has brought about some instant improvements.

For starters, there’s plenty of kneeroom in the back, plus enough headroom to accommodate adults in comfort. Far from the additional panelwork spoiling the looks, the Sport Tourer carries its extra size well, and the anthracite grey roof rails match the 18-inch alloy wheels and air intakes in the chunky front bumper.

The gutsy 2.0-litre turbodiesel is the most powerful oil-burner in Renault’s line-up, providing 160bhp and plenty of torque across the rev range. However, it can’t quite deliver the performance to match the aggressive styling cues. Still, a claimed economy figure of 47.9mpg makes the Mégane a perfect companion on long trips.

Inside, the high-quality cabin and generous equipment levels (including TomTom sat-nav and dual-zone climate control) help the GT feel like a premium product. Meanwhile, the excellent seats and sports steering wheel are lifted straight from the storming RS 250.

Renaultsport’s tuners have tinkered with the GT’s suspension set-up and fitted sticky Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres, giving the Sport Tourer superb grip and poise through corners. Yet the extra agility comes at a high price – the hard ride crashes and jitters over bumps, with intrusive tyre roar on all but the smoothest road surfaces.

Although the Sport Tourer GT costs only £500 over the hatch, at nearly £24,000 it remains one of the most expensive Méganes. We suspect there won’t be too many customers who are eager to pay that much for a sporty estate that lacks a premium badge.

Rival: Skoda Fabia vRS Estate
IF it’s a hot estate you’re after, why not try the 178bhp 1.4 TSI-engined Fabia? It’s not as big as the Mégane, but it has nearly as much boot space – 480 litres with the seats in place – returns 45.6mpg combined economy and costs only £16,495