Following on the tail lights of the launch of the fire-breathing Megane RS, the CC brings piles of flair to the Megane range, mostly thanks to its large folding glass roof. The Megane CC's most noteworthy feature has grown by 10 percent over its predecessor, while clever design tricks include the new rear light cluster straddling the redesigned bootlid.
The car is now bigger with a longer wheelbase and an overall length of 4485mm and Megane CC is said to boast its segment’s largest folding glass roof. The total glazed area is almost one square metre (including the rear window).
The roof, developed by Karmann, has two glass panels that fold into a “V” as the roof folds away into the boot. Controlled by an electro-hydraulic mechanism, the roof is lowered in 21 seconds and raised again in 22. The reinforced folding mechanism, plus the roof, add 110kg to the car’s kerb weight of 1205kg.
TOP UP? The Megane CC's roof treatment means that, even with the top up, it still looks as though the top is down.
The glass roof’s dark tint, along with gloss black pillars and chromed windscreen frame, give the cabriolet the impression of having its top down, even when it’s not. However, should you decide to drop the roof, this CC is fitted with a standard fixed glass wind deflector fitted between the rear head restraints to keep wind buffeting (at speeds up to 90km/h, Renault adds) down.
With two up, the deflector can be supplemented with an (also standard) extra mesh deflector that clips over the rear seats.
A new feature on the Megane CC is a “short drop” function said to raise the windows several millimetres into the roof structure to better protect its occupants from noise and rain.
Designed to carry four people and their luggage, the new CC offers 417 litres of stowage space with the roof up and 211 litres with the roof stowed away. But even if there’s not enough space to store your groceries, at least the occupants will travel in style.
The Megane CC is only available in high-level Dynamique spec and is fitted with leather seats with a position memory function for the front seats to easier return them to their original position once the rear passengers are seated.
PACKS A PUNCH: Renault's new 1.4 TCe turbo engine introduced in the Megane is the only engine for CC.
For extra peace of mind when parking the car with the roof down, the door locks also govern the cubby hole.
Additional features include Renault’s keyless-card entry, an automatic parking brake, dual-zone climate control, TomTom navigation, bi-xenon headlights, and a specially-tuned Arkamys audio system.
Megane’s safety is unimpeachable, but in the case of a roll-over, the reinforced A pillars and pyrotechnic roll-over hoops that deploy automatically create a survival cell.
Dynamically, while based on the same technical specification as the other Megane models, the CC shows a few adjustments. The chassis has been tuned for ride comfort and springs are stiffer at each axle. The anti-roll bar is about 50 percent stiffer, while the rear beam is 25 percent stiffer.
The Megane CC is available with petrol power only in the form of Renault’s 16-valve 1.4 TCe (Turbo Control efficiency) engine. The unit is said to have been optimised to produce high torque at low engine speeds to ensure prompt responses with even power delivery. The 96kW/190Nm engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
A five-year or100 000km service plan is included in the purchase price, along with Renault's five-year or 150 000km warranty.
Price:
Mégane CC 1.4 TCe - R359 900