Does this intermediate version have 204 hp at the measurement?
Some people think the term GT is the same as not at all, because it is not a GTI or – in the case of Renault – RS. Yet it is exactly what Kevin Gielis was looking for in his next car: a nice GT. With a little extra, that is. Let’s see what Kevin’s Renault Mégane GT performs on the dynamometer.
Kevin definitely has a thing for Renault. Not only because he works as a car mechanic at a Renault dealership (Hedin), but because he believes that the brand can be daring. “It has a certain idiosyncrasy, in its designs, but also sometimes in technical solutions,” he explains. When he had saved enough, Kevin started looking for a fourth-generation Mégane. He had quite a few requirements that the car had to meet. Kevin: “To start with, I wanted a nice color and then a maximum of 30,000 kilometers on the clock and a mechanical handbrake, so no electric ones. I also wanted an original Dutch car and Alcantara upholstery.” Any further wishes, Kevin? “Yes, a wonderful automatic, but it’s standard on a fourth-generation GT.”
Mégane GT bought with 67,000 kilometers
You’ll be the occasion that has to meet the wishes of Kevin, the car mechanic known for his desire for perfection and who likes it neat. Of course that Megane came exactly. It was a crackling blue one from 2016. It had 67,000 on the clock, but you can’t have everything!
It should be clear that Kevin, and only he, does the maintenance and also carries out any repairs. “Haha, yes, I owe that to my position, of course. Sometimes I have to force myself to do my own car after a full day of work, but I think it is important to keep up with it.”
Smooth driving and having something to spare, no tearing nose
And the Mégane GT is certainly neat: inside and out it is like new. Kevin is not a crack nose, he likes luxury and comfort and some practical convenience in a car. He does, of course, want to be on the road smoothly and ‘have something to spare’ on the way. That makes Kevin an outspoken GT driver.
Kevin thinks Mégane GT is underrated
It is the Astra, Golf and Focus in one, but from Renault. Where exactly should we place that Mégane GT? “Slightly higher on the rankings, because I think he is sometimes quite underestimated,” says Kevin. The Mégane was born in 1995 as the successor to the 19. The first generation initially appeared only as a five-door hatchback and as a three-door coupé. Sedan, Scénic and Cabriolet will follow later. In 2012 it is time for a facelift for the Mégane. The car gets a different front section with fog lights that connect to the lower grille. Furthermore, there is optional LED daytime running lights and Renault adds a few new engines with a start-stop system to the range. In 2014 there is another major facelift, with the Mégane getting a more modern front. Kevin’s car is the latest generation Mégane, unveiled in 2015. In 2016 the Mégane GT came, the version with just over 200 hp and as usual it was again between the normal Mégane and the Mégane RS.
Clutch has been replaced
A horror story that could even happen to a car mechanic. “The 1.6 engine is fine, but I had to replace the clutch anyway. When shifting from two to three, I heard a noise at a certain point. Then I knew it was wrong. It is a common ailment of this type of Mégane and mine also suffered from it. That link cost 1,500 euros and a lot of free time.”
Kevin has not experienced any crazy things after that clutch misery, quite shortly after purchase. Now he has a wonderful and powerful GT, with which he does everything: commuting, vacations and other outings. But… how powerful is he, because that’s what Kevin wants to know of course. The car with Ghisbert van Ginhoven behind the wheel on the dynamometer neatly gets its values. And in a healthy way, we hear.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl