There is a good opportunity for the Megane in the UK. We have to get the prices and specs right to get a decent residual value – Le Graet
THE all-new Megane due here in the summer is the latest in a line of brand-changing Renault models, behind the Clio, Captur and Kadjar.
We caught up with Yann Le Graet, the man responsible for putting this key SME company car offering on sale, and hear his early thoughts on how the new hatch and estate models, not due here until the summer, will work in the UK.
- The Megane, like the Clio and Captur before it, is going to be a big change for the Renault brand. But what are going to be the key attractions for the SME buyer?
“It’s going to be a corporate car, because the current market for the C-segment – the family car – where the Megane sits, accounts for 60% of sales.
“The nice selling points of the all-new Megane are the on-board technologies, which include the touchscreen tablet in the middle of the dash – it’s unique to the segment.
“On there is the updated driver aids menu – all the ones we debuted on the new Kadjar, plus more that we’ve debuted on the new Espace and Talisman, that we don’t get over in the UK but are built on the same platform. As they’ve added all the technologies from the D-Segment to the C-Segment.
“So Megane offers more premium car features. It’s also wider than any other car in the segment. Then there’s the sporty design.”
- What sort of diesel:petrol mix are you expecting with the new Megane? We’re guessing it’s going to be mostly diesel?
“Yes it will mostly be diesel, an 80:20 split I reckon. It’s what the market dictates. We don’t have a big petrol engine offering, but we are strong with diesel engines. The dCi 110 you can combine with manual or DCT automatic transmission. The DCT transmission is really efficient and is proven to work.
