The Renault Mégane is a small family car produced by the French automaker Renault since 1995. It is offered in 3- and 5-door hatchback, saloon, coupé, convertible and estate bodystyles. The Renault Scénic (launched 1996) is the first modern compact MPV to be built in Europe[citation needed], and is based on the Mégane floorpan.The Mégane I was unveiled in the autumn of 1995, as a replacement of the Renault 19. The car was essentially a reskin of its predecessor, and carried over the 19's floorpan, engines, transmissions and chassis design, albeit with much modification. Taking its name from a Renault concept car shown in 1988, the Mégane further developed the new corporate styling theme introduced by Patrick Le Quément on the Laguna, most notably the "bird-beak" front grille - a styling cue borrowed from the Renault 16 of the 1960s. As with the 19 and the 11 before it, the Mégane was produced in Renault's Douai plant in northern France, and in the Spanish plant of Palencia.
The Mégane II was launched in September 2002, and marked a completely fresh start. The two cars bear very little resemblance, the new vehicle having been inspired by the manufacturer's new style first seen in the Avantime. The new Mégane was voted European Car of the Year for 2003, fighting off stiff competition from Japan's Mazda 6 and PSA's Citroën C3, and achieved a 5-star safety rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests, the first small family car to do so.
The third generation of Mégane was launched in late 2008 to keep the range competitive with newer rivals. It however lacks the distinctive hatchback acquired during its second generation.
In September 2008, both the Renault Mégane Berline 5-door hatchback & Mégane Coupé were presented officially. The two models feature quite a different design, the Coupé having a very aggressive and sporty design while the 5-door model is more conservative. In this generation, no automatic transmission is offered, replaced by a continuously variable transmission.
The phase I version of Megane II was well known for reliability issues, especially with the engine management system. Renault has now spent much more time and mileage testing the new model which is therefore expected to have improved reliability.
