You’ve got to love these guys – they would dearly love to build plain, sensible cars like Volkswagen does, but they cannot suppress their Gallic creative streak. The result is a history of oddly attractive but badly flawed cars, but the new models are in a different class. Style, reliability and value all in one? Yes, you can.
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Koleos
$29,990 - $41,990
Renault might be late to the SUV party, but this is a car that can happily leave the tarmac. Even so, it’s a confused package.
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Laguna
$39,990 - $50,690
Sees itself as a superhero with a mandate to bring style where there is dullness. But its nemesis, Dr Vectra, is vanquished, leaving the spangly suit looking a bit silly.
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Megane
$24,990 - $47,490
Lard-arsed Golf-rival looking a bit on the saggy side after a year or two too many on the market, but still an absolute hoot to drive and probably now a monster bargain.
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Megane 225
The donor car may be ageing, but its hooligan offspring is alive and kicking very hard. Scintillating handling and a ride so hard it makes Vinnie Jones cry.
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Megane CC
The second-generation Megane was hardly the smallest in the posterior department, so with the even-more-generously-arsed CC it’s a wonder the thing can keep its nose on the ground. There are better coupe-cabriolets around nowadays...
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Scenic/Grand Scenic
$33,990 - $40,490
In its old guise as the Megane Scenic it invented the MPV, and still features near the top of the chart against the many impressive Johnny-come-latelys. A parental rite


Hot on the heels of the Subaru Forester Dakar car, here’s a quick grab of ...





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