How quickly a reputation can be changed. The Renault Megane was once an unspectacular thing, content to plough a furrow through the middle market. It existed and sold reasonably well but it didn't do a great deal for Renault's corporate image. It was a largely unexceptional product that the company chose to play safe with. That's no longer the case. The only unimaginative thing about its successor - the Renault Megane II - is its name. In 1.4-litre guise, you can acquire the boldest hatch on the market for less than you may expect.

Such radical styling may well pay for Renault. It's a high-risk strategy in a market where the prevailing look is towards tallboy mini-MPV blandness. The Megane, by contrast, is a shape that turns heads. Renault have dabbled with extreme shapes before, in cars like the Sport Spider, the Avantime and the Vel Satis, but these have always been fringe offerings. Never have they staked the mortgage on a big volume car like the Megane with such hazy odds.

Today's Megane II doesn't differ all that much from the original, with Renault sensibly deciding to gently massage their winning formula rather than drastically change it. More observant members of the public might spot elongated, sleeker headlamps and alterations to the grille which see everything come together in a 'V' shape either side of a more prominent Renault badge at the front. The rear benefits from it's own re-sculpted bumper and revised light clusters while, inside, the instrument binnacle features chrome-ringed dials with white background lighting.

The 1.4-litre versions we examine here represent the entry-level Meganes, Renault relying on them to shift in serious quantities. Perhaps they may find things difficult to begin with, as customers grow accustomed to the shape. They'll certainly not be upset by the pricing which starts at a very reasonable £8,988 for the special five-door Freeway model. In the standard range, prices start at £11,960 for the Extreme three-door or the Authentique five-door. The three-door body shape is also available in Dynamique trim at £13,260, whilst the family-friendly five-door is also offered in Expression and Dynamique guises.

"As with all contemporary Renaults, safety is a priority"

The engine is one that we have become fairly accustomed to. Fitted to the Clio and the previous generation Megane, it has been slightly breathed upon to produce 98bhp at 6,000rpm. You'll need to work it hard to get near Renault's posted performance figures, but 60mph in 12.5 seconds and a top speed of 114mph are perfectly respectable outcomes. Drive in a more relaxed fashion and you can expect to average around 42mpg.

As with all contemporary Renaults, safety is a priority. Take Renault's anti-submarining airbag, a device which leaps forth from the seat cushion to protect the pelvis. This replaces the traditional (and some would say uncomfortable) hump at the front of the seat and is a neat solution that provides both comfort and unparalleled safety, effectively making it impossible to slide beneath the seatbelt in the event of an accident. There's also twin front and side airbags with full-length curtain bags to protect passengers from flying glass.

It's just as well you've got all that safety equipment because you may well spend a good deal of time admiring the Megane's reflection in plate glass windows. Most of the attention is drawn to the rear, the Megane being treated to an Avantime-style bustle back. Rather than tone down the design, however, Renault have exaggerated it, creating a crazily intersecting riot of straight lines and arcs. When Patrick Le Quement, Senior VP of Renault Corporate design talks of "the understated dimensions of the boot" you really have to wonder whether he's looking at the same car. Perhaps Patrick merely has a talent for understatement as well as design.

The underpinnings of the car are as modern as its styling. In partnership with Nissan, Renault have developed a new 'C Platform' which is currently the base for seven different Megane II body styles. 2.4 million of these vehicles were sold between 2002 and 2005 in Western Europe alone so it's fair to say that the Megane hit the ground running.

The extensive Megane II range currently comprises the Scenic and Grand Scenic MPVs, the Coupe-Cabriolet, the Sport Saloon four-door and the Sport Tourer estate as well as the 3-door Sport Hatch and the 5-door Hatch. Heady stuff indeed, and probably a sound explanation why the basic hatches look so avant-garde.

No matter how striking you may find the exterior styling, for many the biggest surprise will come when they drop into the driver's seat of the Megane II. The design is neat without being gratuitously radical, but the real revelation is in terms of the quality of materials and finish. It's almost as if a Renault designer's company hack was rear-ended and he got an Audi courtesy car for the week. Soft feel plastics, quality fabrics and a cohesive design philosophy means a not-so-fond farewell to old-school Renault interiors, many of which were built with the visual drama and structural integrity of a film set.

Like the Laguna II, the Megane features a card rather than the traditional key, and multiplex wiring systems ensure that all of the usual refinements such as rain-sensing wipers, cruise control with speed limiter, rear parking sensors and automatic headlamps are available. Spend more and you can even specify a full-length sunroof and Carminat satellite navigation.

Yes, the Megane II was a gamble, but one that most industry observers now accept has paid off for Renault. The 1.4-litre cars appear good value and make many of the Megane's existing rivals look a little dull in comparison. Megane has quickly become shorthand for innovation in the family hatch sector. Don't be left behind.

TOP 5 MEGANE DEALS

The results below show the top MEGANE deals on buyacar

	Renault Megane 1.4 Dynamique 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £195	Saving £3,643	Price £10,512
	Renault Megane 1.4 Dynamique 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £185	Saving £3,455	Price £10,035
	Renault Megane 1.4 Expression 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £206	Saving £3,858	Price £10,567
	Renault Megane 1.4 Dynamique 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £211	Saving £4,004	Price £10,921
	Renault Megane 1.4 Expression 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £180	Saving £3,360	Price £9,795

typical 11.29% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000