Renault Megane

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At a glance

Who is this car for?

A family of four with full-size cases that the Clio can't swallow. Older-generation cabin, but the boot genuinely earns its keep on the 2.5-hour push to Žabljak.

• Four-up Podgorica families
• TGD airport transfers
• Long inland tours

The Renault Megane around Podgorica

Behind the wheel

The Megane on rental in Podgorica is still the outgoing fourth-generation car, not the narrow E-Tech crossover that replaced it, but the conventional C-segment hatch. The 1.5 Blue dCi 115 diesel is the long-distance pick and the more common spec on TGD fleets; the 1.3 TCe 140 petrol turns up occasionally. Both come with a six-speed manual or Renault's EDC dual-clutch, and both feel plushly damped for the segment, the ride is softer than a 308's and the cabin is quieter at 130 km/h by a useful margin. The driving position is conventional and comfortable for tall drivers, and the seats are better than the photographs suggest.

On Podgorica roads

Podgorica plays well to the Megane's strengths. The capital's flat grid and wide boulevards are gentle on the damping; the Sozina tunnel run and the toll motorway to Bar are exactly the kind of steady-state distance the diesel was engineered for. The Smokovac–Mateševo motorway section north is its comfort zone, set cruise at 120, let the engine loaf at 1,700 rpm, watch the economy gauge sit under 4.5 L/100 km. The Morača canyon up to Kolašin and the Tara bridge detour down to the gorge both benefit from the diesel's mid-range pull, overtaking a camper on a short straight is a one-downshift affair.

Space and load

The 434-litre boot is among the largest in the class and the square shape is genuinely useful. Three large cases and two cabin bags fit flat with room for a day-bag on top; fold the rear bench for 1,247 litres and a full Durmitor camping kit for two, tent, mats, two 60-litre packs, stove and cool-box, travels without stacking. Beach gear for four heading to Velika Plaža in Ulcinj fits seats-up. A family's weekend luggage for Kolašin, plus the cool-box bought in Podgorica's Mall of Montenegro, arrives uncreased. For a hatch it is properly practical and closer to an estate than the dimensions suggest.

Best journeys for this car

The Megane is the pick for travellers whose Montenegro is about distance out of Podgorica. Couples on a twelve- or fourteen-day tour that crosses regions, capital, Skadar Lake, Ulcinj, Bar, back up to Kolašin, on to Žabljak and home, and want a car that is as calm on day one as day twelve. It suits business travellers on a Podgorica–Bar–Tivat circuit who value a quiet cabin on the motorway. It also works as a cross-border car for a weekend run to Shkodra in Albania or Prijepolje in Serbia with real luggage. It is more car than a capital-only couple needs, and the boot goes unused on short airport transfers.

Practical notes

Real-world diesel consumption is 4.3 L/100 km at a steady 120 km/h and 5.0 in mixed Podgorica driving; the 50-litre tank delivers past 1,100 km in gentle use, more than any single day in Montenegro asks. Petrol returns closer to 6.0. Parking in the capital is workable at 4.36 m, Blok 5 and Blok 9 kerbsides accept it comfortably, the Delta City mall basement treats it as standard, and the free shoulder bays out toward the Millennium Bridge are generous. Front-wheel drive on all-season rubber handles capital winter cleanly; chains are legally required for Žabljak and Kolašin passes between November and March, and genuinely useful in heavy January snow. Summer AC is strong with rear vents that matter on four-up trips to Ulcinj.

The verdict

Pick the Megane when the brief is long-distance calm out of Podgorica and a big hatch boot. Skip it if your week is entirely capital-centric or if you specifically want the tighter, tauter character of a 308.

Full specification

Inside the car

• Large Boot
• Bluetooth Audio
• Cruise Control
• Parking Sensors