New Renault Megane Estate boasts vast carrying capacity and could hardly be more driverfriendly, while its dynamic, elegant lines give it undeniable sporting appeal. The newcomer boasts a raft of high-tech equipment, too, including Carminat TomTom, a new, fullyintegrated satnav system for a pioneering price of less than €500. Compared with New Renault Megane Hatchback, the extended wheelbase and rear overhang have freed up additional cabin space for occupants, as well as extra carrying capacity. New Renault Megane Estate comes with a wide choice of engines which combine performance and respect for the environment, including the new TCe 130 petrol unit.

DYNAMIC STYLING

In addition to its dynamic looks, New Renault Megane Estate has a distinctive character and lives up to the pledge made at the time of the hatchback version's release that every member of the New Renault Megane family would have its own, clear-cut personality.

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New Renault Megane Estate features identical front-end styling to that of the hatchback version, including the characteristic lines that swoop down from the windscreen pillars to converge on the logo at the centre of the bonnet. Seen from the side, however, New Renault Megane Estate is very different thanks to its extended wheelbase compared with the hatchback version (+62 mm). The newcomer's total length (4,558 mm) is also 263 mm longer than that of New Renault Megane Hatchback, and its width stands at 1,808 mm. Following this increase in wheelbase and rear overhang, special care has been taken to maintain balanced, dynamic proportions: the slope of the roofline, the steeply-raked rear screen and the elongated, rearward-sweeping side windows give New Renault Megane Estate an elegant, racy profile, and these fluid lines are set off by the longitudinal roof bars.

The broad shoulders exude sporting appeal and an impression of robustness reinforced by the car's generous forms and low positioning of the side protective mouldings. New Megane Estate's unique character is further expressed by features such as its rear light clusters and the form of the rear screen, the bottom edge of which picks out the Renault logo.

Special attention has been paid to perceived quality thanks to a careful choice of forms and materials. In the cabin, the accent has been on the durability and quality of the materials - which have been selected to be pleasant to the touch - and on exemplary fit-and-finish.

Thanks to its generous dimensions and elegant, dynamic styling, New Renault Megane Estate exudes sporting appeal without detracting in any way from its user-friendliness or carrying capacity.

PRATICAL AND TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED

New Renault Megane Estate's boot volume of 524dm3 (up to parcel shelf) ranks it among the best in its segment. Total carrying capacity can be extended up to 1,595 dm3 with the rear benchseat fully folded, while access to the boot is facilitated by its low sill height: 561 mm, the lowest of its segment.

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In addition to its generous proportions, New Renault Megane Estate's boot is practical, too, and gives owners the ability to divide it into two separate zones: one large compartment, and a smaller compartment at the rear which enables the boot's layout to be adapted to the needs of the moment.

For example, a small item can easily be slipped into the smaller compartment, which has the double advantage of preventing it from sliding about and ensuring that it is readily accessible. Two additional stowage bins are available under the floor of the rearmost compartment.

Tipping the front passenger seat and rear benchseat forward enables items of up to 2,550 mm in length to be carried. To facilitate the loading of lengthy objects, the foremost part of the boot floor is raised when the rear benchseat is folded to produce a single, uninterrupted surface. This clever feature frees up space for the baggage cover in a compartment underneath the boot floor behind the rear seats.

Rear passengers also profit from the extended wheelbase since they benefit from comfortable kneeroom of 218 mm.

The driver, meanwhile, will appreciate the comfortable, practical driving environment. Front elbow room figures among the segment's best at 1,476 mm, and the height-adjustable driver's seat travels through a segment-topping 70 mm.

Like New Renault Megane Hatchback and New Renault Megane Coupé, the New Renault Megane Estate catalogue features a raft of equipment, most of which is more commonly associated with the next segment up:

• hands-free card with automatic central locking when the driver walks away from the car
• automatic parking brake
• dual-zone automatic climate control with three temperature adjustment modes (Soft-Auto-Fast)
• directional bi-Xenon headlamps
• innovative combined digital/analogue instrument display
• new colour-coded interface for the cruise control with speed limiter
• customization of the activation and adjustment of certain functions (daytime running lights, volume of audible parking proximity sensor warning)
• 3D Sound by Arkamys audio system
• connectivity: standard RCA socket and optional "Plug & Music" system (USB and jack connections)

PRECISE, REASSURING ROADHOLDING

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All the handling-related enhancements seen on New Renault Megane Hatchback have been carried over to New Renault Megane Estate Technically, New Renault Megane Estate shares the same genes as the rest of the New Megane family, including MacPherson-type front suspension combined with a horned subframe, plus a closedsection torsion beam at the rear, while New Renault Megane Estate's extended wheelbase also contributes to its remarkable stability. The electric power steering has been entirely revised for enhanced response and driving comfort thanks to more reliable feedback of information from the road. Together, these improvements ensure a precise, reassuring ride and best-level cornering stability.

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New Renault Megane Estate is available with a wide choice of powerplants, including three diesel engines that boast CO2 emissions of less than or equal to 120 g/km. The petrol engine line-up comprises six powertrains, including the new TCe 130 engine which is available from launch. Developed within the framework of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the TCe 130 showcases the expertise that the brand has acquired in the field known as downsizing. This 1.4-litre unit boasts the torque of a 2-litre engine and the power of a 1.8, yet its CO2 emissions are less than those of a 1.6. The TCe 130 also figures at the top-end of its class in terms of running and maintenance costs. Its reliable, durable timing chain favours acoustic comfort, while oil change intervals are every 30,000 km (or every two years).

New Renault Megane Estate can also be ordered with 100 hp and 110 hp 1.6 litre engines that drive through manual five- or six-speed gearboxes respectively. In certain markets, this engine is available in a bioethanol-compatible version.

The 2.0 140 hp engine is available with gearshift-free CVT (continuously variable transmission) for even greater driving comfort.

The petrol engine line-up is rounded off by the TCe 180, an evolution of the 2.0 block which combines outstanding response with outstanding flexibility at low revs.

The extensive range of diesel engines available for New Renault Megane Estate illustrates the ongoing work Renault continues to put in to ensure that its customers profit from the market's best trade-off between performance and fuel consumption, as well as lower running and maintenance costs and longer servicing intervals.

The 1.5 litre dCi engine comes in a choice of four power outputs, with or without a particulate filter (dCi 85, dCi 90 DPF, dCi 105 and dCi 110 DPF). In addition to their sprightly performance, all these engines stand out through their low CO2 emissions (118 g/km for the dCi 85 and dCi 90 DPF, 120 g/km for the dCi 105).

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The dCi 130 engine, which is also available with or without a particulate filter, is the only engine of its class to claim CO2 emissions of less than 140 g/km, which consequently qualifies it for tax incentives in certain countries. The dCi 90 DPF, dCi 105, dCi 110 DPF, dCi 130 and dCi 130 DPF engines all figure among the best in their class in terms of running and maintenance costs, with oil changes recommended every 30,000 km (or two years) and timing belt changes every 160,000 km. The particulate filters now benefit from a lifetime warranty.

The diesel engine range is topped by the 2.0 dCi which is available in a choice of power outputs, namely 160 hp (mated to a manual six-speed gearbox) or a 150 hp version with six-speed automatic transmission that will become available in the course of the second half of 2009).

NEW RENAULT MEGANE ESTATE PROFITS FULLY FROM RENAULT'S QUALITY AND SAFETY EXPERTISE

Like all the members of the new Megane family, New Renault Megane Estate has been designed to deliver impeccable passive and active safety. A long list of equipment is available to help drivers anticipate risk situations:

• seatbelt reminder warning lights for all five seats
• tyre pressure monitoring system
• bi-Xenon headlamps with cornering lights
• automatic headlamp activation
• automatic windscreen wiper activation
• cruise control with speed limiter

New Renault Megane Estate is equipped with the full range of driver aids: ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist and ESC with understeer control.

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New Renault Megane Estate also comes with the same passive safety features and systems that helped New Renault Megane Hatchback score the maximum possible score of 37 points (from 37) in the EuroNCAP crash tests, namely a programmed deformation structure combined with the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection (SRP3) which affords best-level protection in accidents for all occupants. New Megane Estate also comes with the innovative twin side-impact sensors first seen on New Laguna. This system halves the time required to trigger the dual-chamber thorax/groin airbags for even greater occupant protection.

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New Renault Megane Estate benefits fully from the considerable progress achieved by Renault in terms of quality and durability. For example: as seen on New Laguna, the hands-free card - complete with automatic central locking as the driver walks away from the car - has been redesigned to make it even more robust. The battery is now located in a sealed compartment to enable it to stand up to the increasingly demanding validation tests (e.g. washing machine test).