Part 3: Renault Fabulous-5 Test Drive – The Megane R26

The Megane R26 is a completely different machine than the Clio RS. Minus the badges and decals, it’ll be hard to believe that the R26 is Renault’s best hot hatch. The design of the R26 may not sit well in everybody’s eyes especially the rear but it’s a look that grows on you, more so after you drive it.

Fresh out of the RS, the interior of the R26 is unlike that of the RS. It’s still a pleasant place to be in and the standard affair of high-quality Renault interiors continues but where the interior of the RS could have still passed off as “normal”, the R26’s is purpose made. The dash is simple, contemporary and sporty with all the switches close to the driver’s reach. This ensures that the driver doesn’t spend too much time fiddling with the controls when he should really be driving. The leather clad Recaro’s offer comfortable support and provide for a great driving position. There is also enough room to transport four well-sized adults comfortably though that’s not exactly what the R26 is built four, it’s just a plus point.

So with Doc and Reza as passengers, we made our way back to KL via the PLUS highway. I didn’t get a chance to put the R26 through its phases as I did with the RS for the lack of bends on our beloved highway but this was my chance to stretch its powerband and introduce myself to the 230km/h top speed.

The R26 is powered by a 2-liter turbocharged engine that puts out some very decent figures; 230bhp that arrives at 5,500rpm and the best part of it, 310Nm of torque that is available at only 3,000rpm!! All that torque hauls a body that weighs in at only 1,345kg so just imagine the pull. Straight open roads turned out to be a good thing as I got a chance to test out Renault’s claim of 6.5seconds for the century sprint. I didn’t have any gadget besides the stopwatch on our phones that could have helped me prove it but I can safely tell you that it definitely feels like 6.5 seconds.

The one thing about cars that pull hard is torque steer and with 310Nm of torque, such a problem comes naturally. To counter this Renault has fitted the R26 with a limited slip differential, a feature not available to the RS. During a standing launch you can actually feel the LSD and the Michelin Pilot Sport (235/40) tyres working hard to lay down all that power. The car’s natural tendency is to pull sideways but then, like it suddenly just remembered it’s supposed to go straight, the R26 pulls back to where you first wanted it to go.

Wheel spin is non-existent thanks to ASR traction control and the entire process of standing on the throttle, having the car pull sideways on you, the traction control straining to put all that power down and 300Nm of torque shoving you into your seat is simply intoxicating, much more fun than the RS during launch.

Here I was entering deep into triple digit numbers when suddenly brake lights from the cars in front came on. Naturally, when you’re sprinting and suddenly have cars in front you coming to a halt, you slam on the brakes but we were right in the middle of a sweeper, not a great idea to just slam on the brakes, so I played it safe though I’m sure the ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and CSV Understeer control safety nets would have kept us equally as safe had I opted to stand  on the brakes.

Working the gears and tapping the drilled Brembo brakes (312mm/300mm F/R) brought us to a standstill less dramatically but I discovered something about the R26 that I didn’t quite like, it’s something that I had noticed earlier but tried to ignore. The gear shifts.

The gearshifts in the R26 are not as fast and precise as the close ratio gearbox of the RS. There’s actually quite a bit of a throw from click to click and this doesn’t quite gel well with the entire hardcore hot-hatch feel that the R26 puts out. It’s probably the weakest link but it’s not a mood-killer. Shifts are still smooth but you just have to wait a millisecond extra for the cog to settle in compared to the short-throw of the RS. That’s probably the only thing about the R26 that doesn’t go down with me, and the huge bulging rear-end that looks like it came right off a dancer in a rap video.

It’s sad that I didn’t get a chance to throw the R26 around a few tight bends because from what I have learnt about the handling-characteristics of the R26, it’s actually quite amazing. The brochure I’m looking at right now says that the acclaimed Cup Chassis of the R26 has been further tuned to provide sublime handling and precision. The Cup Chassis also employs specific dampers and 10% stiffer front springs, while rear damper travel has been slightly increased by reducing the size of the bump stops by 20mm to optimize handling on poor surfaces.

The thicker front anti-roll bar (from 19mm to 21mm) and integration of a rear axle with an additional anti-roll bar ensure 10% stiffer anti-roll characteristics for enhanced handling under cornering. Increasing the diameter of the spindle axles by 5mm and the size of the wheel bearings offers 30% greater camber stiffness, which helps maintain the geometry of the axle under cornering. All these combine to provide first class road holding.

After being lost in technical jargon for a bit, to me the R26 sounds like it would handle like it’s on rails, and I don’t doubt for a minute that it will. Now having driven both the RS and the R26, I have to say that both cars are amazing driving machines both with their own unique character. What the RS looses out in terms of speed, it makes up for in terms of agility and precision driving. What the R26 looses in terms of hardcore appeal, it makes up for in terms of speed and dramatic traffic light moments. Both fun and both unique.

I compared the Clio RS to the Civic Type-R, and I still maintain that the RS has the Type-R beat in terms of everyday usability. The R26 however, I will not compare to the Type-R as the Renault is turbocharged and thus has the upper hand, but you could compare the R26 to the Golf GTI. Both turbocharged, both European and both sporting models of their respective builders. The GTI may be cheaper at slightly more than RM200k but at RM236,100, the R26 has the upper hand in terms of driver engagement and involvement. The extra RM36,100 also buys you some pretty cool features as the four-pot drilled Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, and most importantly for a hot hatch, LSD with CSV understeer control.

The R26 also has the feeling of being purpose built and not something that anybody can drive anywhere on a daily basis. You could do the same with the R26 as well, but I can assure you that you won’t see a 65 year old aunty driving the R26 but you might just find her in a GTI. Check out the EVO video below to see what I mean. But for me, if I were given a chance to purchase either of the Renault’s, it would be the RS but that’s just because speed is not everything for me. Pleasure is.

Special thanks to everybody at TC Euro Cars for making this happen.