The automotive’s driving place stays flawed, seating this barely taller-than-average tester both too near the pedals or too removed from the opposite major controls for optimum consolation. Apologies that these are all criticisms of this automotive that you could have learn beforehand, however since Renault has failed to handle so lots of them, they appear value repeating.
And we’re not completed with them but, as a result of the automated automotive’s ergonomic failings proceed to increase to excessive and unintuitively positioned ‘handbook’ shift paddles for the six-speed gearbox, and now that it’s EDC or nothing, that appears to harass all of the extra. You shouldn’t have to maneuver your palms from a-quarter-to-three on the wheel to succeed in a shift paddle, and on a automotive whose super-direct rack appears purpose-built to encourage such a hard and fast grip on the rim, you actually shouldn’t.
The excellent news? Properly, Renault’s non-obligatory bucket seats are snug and clamp your bottom proper the place it must be. 4-seat passenger area is first rate, offered that longer-legged drivers are ready to bear the brunt of the automotive’s oddly shallow entrance footwells.
To drive, the Mégane RS Trophy’s extremely strung character hasn’t modified, though I’m undecided that sampling it with a dual-clutch automated gearbox improves the automotive general. We must always add at this level that we examined the automotive in chilly, moist circumstances that, it will shortly develop into apparent to any proprietor, aren’t its pure dwelling. On a hotter check day, the tenor of all this might need been considerably completely different. Nonetheless, we are able to solely report as we discover.
The boosty engine, agency experience, fast-paced four-wheel steering system and Torsen LSD can mix to make this automotive a hyperactive drive on more durable cross-country roads. It’s all the time energetic, however its dealing with is especially delicate to bump, camber and disruption by tractive forces. On a moist street, the automotive swings from feeling actually involving to fairly all of the sudden develop into a bit wild and unruly after which swings again once more as you probe away at its grip ranges. Amid the moist and the mud and the murk, it’s very positively an ESC-on sort of drive.
The way in which that the automotive is configured and tuned would make an ideal deal extra sense – and for lots extra enjoyable on a dry observe. In any circumstances, the Mégane RS Trophy is a livewire and likable for it. However in less-than-perfect circumstances, its chassis is only a bit too reactive and direct. You’re too busy second-guessing it to have the ability to place the automotive intuitively on the street.