Most people will recognize that the
name Renault is synonymous with reliable
French automobile and impressive
Formula One racecars albeit many will
not be able to pronounce it correctly. In
Singapore, I used to hear the T sound
very prominent at the end when it's supposed
to be silent. Fortunately in Dubai,
more people are getting it right.
Renault is certainly a much more
common sight in the French cobbled
streets than in the UAE. For some
strange reason, consumers outside of
France haven't quite realized how reliable
and easy to drive it is. And for the
price range of AED 85,000 to AED
95,000 here, it is quite a steal. In fact
Renault has to date won several engine
awards and their F1 team has won a
couple of Drivers', as well as,
Constructors' Championships each.
We've recently tested the Megane
Coupe Convertible and even managed to
try it out with the top down although the
weather was getting warmer with the
temperatures teasing the 40-degree
mark. Surely when you get to test a convertible,
you have to have the hood down
no matter the cost, which in this case is
the heat. Of course luggage has to be
carefully stowed to make room for the
folded roof, but that aside, the operation
is simple and quick. In less than half a
minute, the Megane CC looks pretty hot
and I don't mean the temperatures this
time.
Convertibles seem to be very popular
here in Dubai; supposedly because there
is so little chance of rain. In tropical
cities,
you'll need
a hood
that can go up in 5 seconds as the
downpours can be rather sudden and
without warning.
The test car was a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder,
16-valve machine which, at certain
angles, didn't look like a convertible partly
because of big overhangs at the front
and rear. This is a problem with hardnew
top convertibles these days. Designers are
instructed to make them look sporty and
pretty (sometimes cute even) but the boot
has to have ample room to stow the folded
top; not an easy feat I'd imagine. Its solid
glass roof is light and inside is bright even
when the roof is fixed in place. When the
roof is raised in swift, scissor-like motion,
the already spacious interior looked even
more airy.
Renault wants the Megane CC to be a
4-person sporty convertible, which is another
difficult feat to achieve. Though spacious
for a convertible, large-sized adults will find
it hard to fit into the backseats. The body is
also a tad bit too heavy for it to accelerate
in a speedy fashion. Also, opening the two
doors in tight parking spaces was a difficult
task since they are rather long and wide
and getting into the car after with a pregnant
belly proved to be quite a nightmare.
Having said all that, it's a thoroughly enjoyable
car to drive with smooth cruising suspension
and surprisingly over speed bumps
too. It tackles corners brilliantly possibly
because of its weight.
The interior is well-appointed with light
grey upholstery that looks sleek and shipshape.
Both front and rear seats are very
comfortable and contoured
according to a relaxing sittingbody
position, ideal for long stateto-
state drives or traffic-stalling
streets.
