Cute, but more brm-brm, s'il vous plait

The eagerly awaited Coupe was first unveiled as a concept model at last year's Geneva Motor Show to an enthusiastic audience.

And with good reason. The classy Coupe is a snazzy good-looker brimming with fancy equipment (a lot of it high tech) and excellent safety features.

Although it has all the show-off credentials of a coupe it is also a fairly comfortable four-seater (even five, at a squeeze) with class-leading luggage space which makes it highly practical for daily use.

Thoroughly thoroughbred looks

The front end is strikingly different with huge air scoops tapering down from the narrow-eye headlights on either side of a sporty black grille and embedded fog lights.

The roofline slopes back elegantly above the flared wheel arches and sporty alloys to a cheeky rear end which looks remarkably like that of the Volvo C30.

From the side it looks thoroughbred coupe: big door, tapering windows, small back window…. just perfect for brag cruising along the Camps Bay beachfront.

Getting into the back ain't all that easy, particular if you are taller and broader than the average Parisian, but once you are in and settled there is enough space not to feel cramped.

The lights are eye-catching.

Like all coupes, the doors are big and they open wide which is always a little tricky in the tight confines of a supermarket car park, so a little care, particularly in a howling South-Easter, is required.

Sporty seats, super sound

The front seats are sporty and fit in well with the flash dash, small steering wheel and stubby gear lever.

One of the Coupe's best features is its amazing sound 3D system, specially devised for the Megane by digital sound specialist Arkamys.

It blasts out 104 watts through eight speakers and the quality is classical concert class. What a pleasure it would be at sunset along that lovely stretch of R62 Karoo between Montagu and Oudtshoorn!

With this come RCA and USB slots for MP3 playback and Bluetooth connectivity.

Scoring on the safety scene

Other driving pleasure enhancers include dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control as well as rain and light sensors.

The new Coupe also scores big time in the safety department with a benchmark five-star Euro NCAP rating, six airbags as well as what Renault calls a “pelvis restraint cushion (PRC) anti-submarining airbag” on both seats.

Side-impact sensors, dual seatbelt pre-tensioners and special head restraints complete the in-house safety list.

On the road safety assistance comes in the form of ABS and brake assist, with electronic stability control (ESC) available as an optional extra.

Is she party animal, or a party-pooper?

Right, so the French Madame is all dollied up with elegant make-up and a chic dress, but can she party?

Yes she can, but only up to a point, because when it comes to fun this two-door Megane is a bit of a party-pooper.

And the reason for this is its rather dopey 1,6-litre engine which is the same 83 kW/151 Nm that pushes the Megane Hatch.

The instrument panel would even please Jeremy Clarkson.click to enlarge

Renault says it will do the benchmark 0-100 km/h in 10,5 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 195 km/h.

The test car I drove from Sandton to Parys on the media launch was decidedly lazy and even if you work the six-speed manual shift quite enthusiastically there seems to be little inclination to party - which is disappointing because the engine falls short of the Coupe's sexy looks.

Turn on to the 2010 turbo

Renault says that a high-tech 1,4-litre TCe-powered Coupe will be here in January and I would suggest that you wait for the arrival of this turbo-charged version which holds more promise with an output of 96 kW and 190 Nm.

While it is a perhaps a little unfair to expect this city Coupe to show a little vroom-vroom (these sort of cars are generally bought by blonde, power-dressing estate agents and interior decorators with pointy shoes who care more about how good they look in the car than how good the car goes), it would be nice if this cute Coupe had a little more zip-zap on tap.

There certainly isn't much wrong with its roadholding. Although the chassis is the same as that of the Megane Hatch the Coupe's version has been tweaked for a sportier ride with stiffer dampers and springs which gives it a slightly lower, firmer ride.

Vive le difference

Although the steering is not very talkative in feedback terms it's more than adequate for a car that's probably going to be spending most of its time in city traffic and boulevard cruising.

It handles the twisties well with just a little body roll. The suspension slots in nicely between comfort and performance and the brakes are bang-on good.

The Megane also does its thing for the environment. Renault claims a mixed cycle fuel consumption figure of 6,9 l/100 km and 5,6 l/100 km in extra-urban condition and a CO2 emissions rating of 163 g/km.

Overall the Megane Coupe oozes French elegance and flair. It is attractive in a rather unusual way which, in itself makes it quite desirable. It speaks with the special insouciance that has made the French, their food and their cars so different from the rest of the world.

The driving position is comfortable and well-appointed.

And it is priced quite competitively at R220 000 for the 1,6-litre 16-valve Dynamique which is currently on sale, and R245 000 for the 1,4-litre turbo-charged model due here in January.

The Coupe comes with a three-year/100 000km warranty and a five-year/100 000 km service plan.

The Megane Coupe specifications