C'est tres jolie! C'est la Mégane Coupé Cabriolet NV, a limited edition of Renault's super glass-top convertible is reviewed here…
The first car I ever drove was a Renault. I must have been about 13 when my mother and I set off for my first driving lesson. It was a Renault 4, a lovely little green 1975 model that was popularly used as a taxi in Paris in the '70s.
The gear lever came out the dashboard, and aside from wiper blades, I can't remember many other 'optional extras'. Once I had learnt to drive, there was no stopping me. Any friend who visited and couldn't yet drive, I taught. That poor little Renault 4 had more than one run-in with trees and fences.
Five star safety rating
I laughed when I got into the Renault Mégane Coupé Cabriolet NV for the first time – it's come a long way from my little green R4. It's got safety belts for starters. Although that's not to be said so flippantly as Renault is on a big drive at the moment to remind us how important safety is to them. And they've got the stars to prove it: 5 for the safety rating in the Euro NCAP crash test. But hopefully the only stars you'll be seeing are the ones when you set eyes on the NV, a limited edition cabrio-coupé Mégane.
Watch the stars with the roof on
Dual-tone leather seats is one of the noticeable, although not too noticeable, features of the NV as well as the 16-inch alloys, fog lamps, colour-coded bumpers and the coup-de-tat, the silver roof arches. The roof is made entirely of glass, so you can still watch the stars even when the roof's on. This makes the car look very sexy.
Lots of great storage compartments
There are four seats but the two back ones are very squashy and will have your passengers 'shot gunning' the front passenger seat for some leg room. But what there isn't a shortage of is storage - it's fantastic - little cubby holes everywhere. I'm sure I left half of my belongings in the car when I returned it. When you're driving a convertible in town, you need to be able to put everything out of sight. The centre storage box even fitted my hand bag which impressed me no end.
Could do with a bit more power
Renault has put the 83kW 1.6-litre 16V into the NV, which I think is a little too, er, little for the weight of the car. And as my father always said 'it's all about the power to weight ratio'. Which may sound technical but it's not. You can have the most fantastic engine, but if it's a heavy car you may as well be driving Miss Daisy. I got a little frustrated at times driving the 1.6, as I often needed just a little bit more vooma to overtake or change lanes.
...but cruises beautifully
Even the most sedate of drivers needs to be able to manoevre quickly in traffic or on the highway. But the Renault Mégane cc NV does cruise beautifully and is as much fun and comfortable on long road trips as it is in town.
Electric variable power-assisted steering system
Driving, roof down I was most impressed with how turbulent-free the cabin is. For once, driving with the roof down I didn't arrive at the other end looking like a hammerkop's nest. Handling on the cc is more precise as opposed to the whafting of the earlier ones. And you're driving by the electric variable power-assisted steering system that attunes itself according to the speed you're driving.
Auto wipers and headlights
For example, when you're parking the steering loosens up, but as you pick up speed the steering adjusts so that you don't over-steer. In the unlikely event of an accident (because we are women drivers, after all) there are auto roll bars to protect passengers, as well as front, front lateral and anti-submarining airbags (no, not for water but so that you don't slide down into the footwell). The automatic windscreen wipers and headlights give us one less thing to think about while driving.
FYI - it's 95% recyclable too
With 'carbon footprints' being the catch phrase du jour, Renault mention that 95% of this car's weight is recyclable. Which, while commendable, how many of us would begin to even know how to recycle our cars? Perhaps car manufacturers should be compelled to have recycling facilities. Although my little old Renault 4 is still going and the thought of sending it through a mincer is too terrible! Perhaps you'll feel the same way about your NV.
The best for last: the price
At R246 000, a price tag as attractive as the Renault Mégane Coupé Cabriolet NV. It also comes with a full maintenance plan (5 years or 60 000km and roadside assistance.
