Review of the new Renault Megane World Series

It hasn't always been the case but these days, car buyers in the hunt for something small, fast, thrilling and moderately affordable can usually find just the thing at their local Renault dealership. The French marque is building a dynasty of racy hatchbacks of the hot, warm and tepid varieties and in the shape of its Megane World Series, it even has a model that's barely lukewarm but priced to sell.

It's the Renaultsport brand that has delivered Renault's rejuvenation in the eyes of hot hatchback fans. Versions of the Twingo, Clio and Megane carrying the Renaultsport logo have won critical acclaim for their pace, poise and driver focus. These top line performance models don't come cheap but Renault has benefited from a trickledown effect where customers have settled for less hardcore options with similar looks that are cheaper to buy and run. The Megane World Series is precisely that, a conventional Megane with Renaultsport visuals. Its World Series branding comes from a promotional link-up with the World Series By Renault, a single-seater race series which the manufacturer sponsors to further underline its links to the sporty side of motoring.

The engines in the Megane World Series have been chosen for affordability rather than outright power. The 1.6-litre VVT unit has 109bhp, so it isn't going to worry the Megane Renaultsport 250 or even the Clio Renaultsport 200 in a drag race. It can get from 0-60mph in 10.5s and hit a 121mph top speed. The second option is a diesel with 105bhp and a 1.5-litre capacity. It's a bit slower over the 0-60mph increment with a 10.9s time but has 240Nm of torque at 2,000rpm compared to the petrol's 152Nm at 4,250Nm. That means it will feel stronger in real world driving conditions but this and its lower running costs are reflected in the price premium you pay to get one.

"The Megane World Series is a more affordable alternative to the explosive Renaultsport stable"

The MK2 Megane may have had its faults but lack of driving appeal wasn't one of them. Renault's challenge with this third generation version was to retain the fun whilst building in a higher quality 'big car' feel. Has it succeeded? The signs look encouraging. There's a new front suspension/subframe arrangement to improve directional precision and a redeveloped power steering system to more swiftly respond to driver input. The rear suspension meanwhile, has been tuned to produce a more responsive, agile ride, as well as offer improved cornering without detracting from comfort. Plus, there are bigger brakes, able to pull you up to rest from 62mph in a class-leading 37 metres.

The World Series versions of the Megane mimic the look of the higher performance models in the range. On the five-door hatch version, the bumper inserts from the three-door Coupe are included along with side skirts, a rear spoiler and a sports back bumper. It all serves to lower the car visually and produce a more aggressive, road-hugging stance. It's a similar story on the Coupe version but here, more of the features are standard anyway. Side skirts, a sports rear bumper and an extended front spoiler do the business. The Megane is a more conventional shape these days with a marked difference between the three and five-door cars. The five-door is given a sporty edge by the World Series accessories but it's the Coupe that's the real treat to look at and carries off the add-ons in more impressive style.

Climb in and the first thing you notice at the wheel is the innovative dashboard which features an analogue rev-counter alongside a digital speedometer which also incorporates the cruise control/speed limiter display. When this function is activated, the speed selected by the driver is displayed at the top of the speedo which is itself ringed by a sequence of lights. In speed limiter mode, the red segment lights up as the speed increases, while the selected speed begins to flash if exceeded. Space in the cabin is unexceptional but the boot volume of 372 litres in the five-door car (assuming a spare wheel) figures amongst the best in the segment.

17" alloy wheels and WSR badging complete the Megane World Series package. The coupe models are priced at a £400 premium over the five-door cars, which isn't the usual way of things in the family hatch sector but reflects the more striking styling of the three-door car. A Megane World Series buyer saves £1,190 over the price of a standard Dynamique model brought up to the same specification via the options list while the advantage to Coupe customers stands at £940.

Any Renaultsport car would leave the Megane World Series standing but this special edition model will get its own back on financial grounds. There's quite a difference between the two units in terms of economy and emissions, with the petrol managing 40.9mpg and 162g/km, while the diesel comes up with 62.8mpg and 120g/km of CO2.

Renault is rightly proud of its recent forays into the hot hatchback sector. The French firm is now one of the leading names when it comes to budget performance cars but the budget needed to secure a fully-fledged Renaultsport model is still quite significant. The Megane World Series is a more affordable alternative to the explosive Renaultsport stable that mimics the visual drama but does without the searing pace and associated running costs.

The latest Megane is a classy operator with a range split between the practical five-door bodystyle and the slippery Coupe. Neither car is particularly spacious but the cabin quality stands out and the driving experience is a fine blend of comfort and responsive handling. There's certainly fun to be had behind the wheel, even with the economical engines in the World Series range.