Renault Megane Sport Tourer 1.9 dCi Dynami Graham Whyte 17/8/2004 'The bearer of this permit is authorised to convey deliveries on behalf of the Calcutta Union of Tiffin Box Carriers. Signed: George Verandah-Char (General Secretary).' I once found this extraordinary document amongst my late father's effects. He grew up in India, where his own father was a soldier, and during the school holidays Dad would earn a few rupees as a dabbahwallah, delivering tiffins (a pukka light lunch) to hard-working Indian clerks.

Dabahwallahs are still a common sight in India. In the absence of a convenient Tesco Metro or Pret a Manger, white-collar Indian office workers have their lunch collected from their homes in special tins called dabbahs, and delivered to their offices by licensed bicycle couriers (dabbahwallahs). I mention all this because my daughter-in-law, who is a dab hand with Dairylea and bloater paste, had decided to set up a sandwich delivery service, and asked me to recommend a suitable estate car.

She wanted one that had plenty of load space, and which could double as family transport at the weekend. Having at the time just tested a Renault Megane Sport Tourer, I told her she need look no further. I had driven the 1.9-litre dCi 120 diesel-engined model, and had immediately recognised its virtue as an easily driven jack-of-all-trades.
I've become something of a fan of oil burners in recent years, and the 120 bhp Renault mill is one of the better examples, being quieter and more refined than the rival VeeDub unit, which sounds comparatively industrial next to the lightweight sound signature of the French engine. The 1.9-litre, 120 bhp Renault offering is also blessed with shed-loads of torque - 300 Nm at 2000 rpm - making for a lot of flexibility in slow-moving traffic. And, of course, diesel engines are ideal for stop-start work.

During my week with the Megane I used it on a photo shoot (which involves a lot of clobber) and was impressed with the amount of space in the blunt end. Without having to fold down the rear seats, I found I could easily spread everything out, and the large tailgate provided useful shelter from the rain, which was persisting down.

The wide and deep load platform hints at the boot's class-leading volume, which, at 520 litres (18.4 cubic feet), exceeds the volume of a Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate by some 50 litres. Even the new Vauxhall Vectra Estate, which is 30 cm longer than the Megane, bests the French car by only 10 litres - a mere 40 cubic inches, or so. With the rear seats folded, the Megane's capacity increases to a massive 1600 litres (56.4 cubic feet), around 250 litres more than the German car, and not far short of the big Vauxhall.

Although not large enough to contain all but small valuables, there are useful, and quite secure, under-floor storage areas for the driver and front-seat occupant. The rear centre armrest also has space for a few bits and bobs. The longitudinal roof bars are to an extent load-bearing (max 50 kilos), and therefore Renault offers a range of cross-bars, and ski- and bike-racks. Two adult mountain bikes can also be carried on a tailgate-mounted rack, which is offered as a Renault accessory. In addition, the 1.9 dCi 120 can tow a useful 1300 kilos (braked), which would make this an ideal car for a caravaniste - loadsa torque, a big boot, and a family-sized cabin being ideal attributes for a six-wheeler. The torque-rich engine is not just there for load-lugging. It adds a measure of sparkling mid-range punch that does justice to the 'Sport' moniker. It is also the source of quite respectable acceleration, the 0-62 mph time of 10.8 seconds being second only to the 2.0-litre, 136 bhp VVT petrol model. Top speed of the 120 is 121 mph, beaten again (very slightly) only by the same VVT model. Of course, the real benefit of the 120 diesel is the fuel consumption: at 52.3 mpg, it is up to 20 mpg better than any of the petrol models, although the 1.4-litre, 80 bhp dCi diesel model reigns supreme, delivering 61.4 mpg on the combined cycle.

The model hierarchy of the Megane Sport Tourer line-up follows the same pattern as most other Renault cars. Entry level is represented by the Expression range; above that sits the Dynamique; and ultimate largesse takes the form of the Privilege range. I drove the mid-range Dynamique, which in 1.9 dCi 120 guise is price tagged at a range-topping £15,350, including six-speed manual transmission.

Every Megane Sport Tourer benefits from Renault's notable munificence. For example, standard kit across all three model ranges includes front, side and curtain airbags; ISOFIX mountings; keyless entry thanks to the so-called Renault Card; RAID (Renault Anti Intruder Device); a trip computer and remote dashboard display; air conditioning; auto wipers with a rain sensor; electric heated door mirrors; and electric windows all round. The Dynamique gains a Thatcham Cat1 alarm; 16-inch alloys; a leather steering wheel and gear knob; charcoal-grey upholstery; satin-chrome door handles; and a metallic-finish to the side rubbing strips.
What isn't evident from the specification is the impressive sense of spaciousness, which is a function of both the large, deep windscreen, and the low, shallow fascia, the centre stack of which bears some resemblance to that of the Nissan Micra, to which the Megane is distantly related. Some of the knobs look familiar and there is the same logic applied to the air-conditioning controls, which are refreshingly simple to understand and operate.

I also like the novel handbrake, which looks like the throttle yoke of a jet aircraft. Its unique design also allows room for a sizeable central storage bin, which is supplemented by small, lidded boxes in the front-door armrests.

Along with the light and space comes comfort, and an effortless driveabilty, hallmarks of a car that is easy to live with. I covered quite a high mileage during the test week, in all sorts of conditions, and never once did I spot any weakness. Long-haul journeys were accomplished without any sense of fatigue, and several forays across London proved the worth of the quiet-running, muscle-laden engine. The ergonomics are noteworthy, too, in a couple of areas. Those of you who recall French car seats being constructed entirely from marshmallow and old curtains should think again. Those days are long gone, and the Megane seats (any model) are firm in the German style, and supremely comfortable. And, for a change, the weight of the pedals, the gear-change and the variable-assistance electric power steering are all nicely balanced, and that definitely improves car control.

In fact, car control is high on the agenda in the Sport Tourer. The suspension has been adapted from that used on the hatchback Megane: the damper settings, the degree of suspension travel, and the steering have all been re-calibrated to suit the weight- distribution of the longer body. The effect is to create the same high level of dynamic stability that has been achieved in the Megane Hatch. Having tested both the Hatch and the Tourer in quick succession, I could detect little or no difference in handling and roadholding, even when the latter was fully laden - surely the acid test.
The Megane Hatch has a particular claim to fame, and Renault expects the Tourer to follow in its footsteps. Every year a range of cars is subjected to the brutal Euro NCAP crash-testing programme, and the Megane Hatch is one of the few ever to achieve a top-score, five-star rating for occupant safety. I have seen a number of these cars after they have been thumped into a large concrete block at urban driving speeds, and it's not a pretty sight. The Megane looked bad enough but you should have seen some of the others. Despite its looking a complete wreck, closer inspection of the Megane revealed that the interior 'survival' space was scarcely deformed, and the all-round airbags would certainly limit secondary impact injuries; so, trust me, whatever the asking price of a Megane, it's money well spent.

Estate cars used to be considered a bit 'trade' and most of them looked incomplete without a set of aluminium ladders and a coat-hanger aerial. That's all changed in recent years, and there is now almost a lifestyle cachet attached to owning a two-box motor. Certainly the Sport Tourer is not bereft of any of the social niceties, and its build-quality, appearance and general demeanour will not result in other mums smiling condescendingly when you turn up en famille.

Indeed the Renault proved sufficiently pukka that my daughter-in-law decided to re-think her meals-on-wheels enterprise. She considered Dairylea and bloater paste no longer suitable for a business centred upon a Megane Sport Tourer, and her inventory quickly took on a somewhat upper-crust flavour. So if you fancy a couple of rounds of mousse de hareng sec fume sur pain de merveilleuse, I'll send her round. re_meganeii_03_e1.jpg re_meganeii_03_e2.jpg re_meganeii_03_e3.jpg