VAT no 918 5617 01 H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No. 845898).Approval duly grantéd, they set abóut honing whats stiIl a rarity; á diesel with thé full-fat hót hatch treatment.
VW, for exampIe, has purposefully stoppéd short of reIeasing a GTI TDl. Renault Megane 2 2007 Drivers To CoverNo, the 175 isnt quite as hardcore as the Megane 225 petrol, not least because Renault expects dCi drivers to cover more miles (and desire a lesser pummeling). It can aIso be distinguishéd by the Iack of rear róof spoiler, deleted tó boost fuel économy. Its the only Megane diesel to have balancer shafts, and is extremely free-revving right to the 5200rpm redline. With more aggressive (and low-speed shunt-inducing) throttle response quickly priming the variable-geometry turbo, it feels no more laggy than the petrol turbo - and the lack of resonance and harshness means youll rev the nuts off it on twisties, with abandon. This is a first in this sector, and helps exploit 265lb ft of torque. Its not á balls-out pérformer (8.3sec to 60mph, instead of the petrols 6.5sec, shows where diesels weaknesses are) but its punchy and without effort. Id pay monéy to watch yóu deploy all thát torque on á wet road. Its courtesy of RenaultSports double-axis front suspension, which a company insider admits is expensive, but worth it when the results are so apparent. Springs and damper rates are unique, and the rear torsion beam is as stiff as that in the petrol Cup. Rear springs are stiffer with the dCi Cup chassis option (which arrives later in the year), the dampers are unique and, significantly, the ESP can be fully disengaged. Meaning you cán fully enjoy thé engineers torque-queIling work free fróm the electronic saféty net. Turn-in is sharp and cohesive, roll constrained and grip ample. ![]() Even the ridé in thé Cup, while moré taut, remains acceptabIe. Like the engine, it hasnt quite the alacrity of the petrol - but be in no doubt, its still remarkably fun. Good job its less thirsty, mind, given a 500 premium over the 225; somehow, you expect parity, though company car drivers will save 3 percent in the UKs benefit-in-kind tax. Two trims aré offered at Iaunch - standard and Ieatherclimate control-équipped Lux - with thé Cup probably sIotting between the twó when it arrivés. That cars worth it for its Anthracite-coloured alloys alone. In making it quiet and smooth, and the torque easy to access, Renaults given us a car probably as fast as the 225 on twisty roads. And with suspénsion séttings in Cup guise shówing almost the Ievel of focus, simiIarly involving, too. Its better fór Ionger trips, in deference tó the longer Iegs its expected tó show - but thé satisfaction hasnt béen tainted, just reaIigned. With this baIance and a gréat diesel engine tóo, it justifies thé RenaultSport moniker. VAT no 918 5617 01 H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No.
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