previously said
facelifts rarely contribute much to a car's appearance it's got to be said that this refreshed Megane wears its new face well and instantly looks a much more aggressive and assertively sporty car than the SEAT. It's not beautiful but the broad front arches give it a much more purposeful stance and there's more of a coupe feel than SEAT's generic hatchback design.
Megane should be in its element on track...
You're probably spotting a theme by now. Where everything in the SEAT seems synthesised and electronically enhanced the Megane has a much purer and more equal partnership between man and machine. It's old-school compared with the SEAT and those who like lots of gizmos and buttons to push will feel hard done by, especially considering the extra cost.
Predictably when the rain hits the track and things get slippery the Megane really shows its class. Turning in on the brakes reveals a much livelier rear end than the Leon - very lively in fact - but once mastered there's a beautifully uncorrupted sense of gliding across the surface on tip toes with plenty of options open as to how to gather it up. Tip it in early on the brakes and you can four-wheel drift the Megane with the wheel pretty much at the dead ahead, pick your exit point and then feed in the power to pull it straight at the moment of your choosing.
Can it maintain advantage on the road too?
The mechanical diff isn't as clever as the SEAT's VAQ system and won't pull from the inside wheel quite as dramatically so if you're greedy with the power it will still run wide but like the rest of the controls it is at least consistent and predictable in response. Same goes for the pedal placing and throttle response, all of which point to a car set up by keen drivers for keen drivers. It's a much more pointy and aggressively calibrated car than the SEAT and demands more of you to go quickly but you get a feeling as you become more confident and assertive the Megane just has more and more to give.
Feelgood factors continue inside too, the figure hugging Recaros and Alcantara wheel instantly giving you a greater sense of connection heightened further by the control weights and responses. There's some heft at the wheel, giving a sense of something to lean against, and in contrast to the SEAT the brake pedal feels solid and progressive rather than biting suddenly and then tailing off disconcertingly.
Matt gets a lesson in the Megane's lively rear end
The power delivery feels more natural too, the torque, boost and power all building from 3,000rpm onwards with a raucous blast of exhaust noise through the carbon tipped Akrapovic pipe. Once on-boost it's hard to pick out the redline though so the shift-up beep is actually quite useful. The ripple of bangs and pops on a trailing throttle are good fun too and a lot more convincing than the SEAT's farty piped in attempt at engine noise in its sportier Cupra setting.
Megane Bedford lap
