The Megane Coupe really is a model in its own right - not simply a three-door version of the Megane hatchback. It's not even a hatchback for goodness sake - more's the pity some might say. I prefer to side with those who appreciate the extra body rigidity you get without that gaping hatch hole at the back. Make no mistake, this is a car for serious drivers - but it's also been seriously marketed as well. Instead of opting for either the junior coupe sector (a la Ford Puma) or the medium-sized coupe market (a la Toyota Celica), Renault has attempted to target both with the range on offer. The sales figures suggest some merit in this approach. If you've no objection to decent quality plastic, you should have no problems with the softly sculptured dash layout with its new easy-to-read sports instrument dials. There's a much better unique-fit stereo on second-generation cars with steering wheel-mounted remote controls. Renault wishfully bills the car as a "true four seater", a statement which seems to me to reveal too many long marketing lunches in Paris. The truth is that the Megane has no more (but certainly no less) room than any of its comparable rivals - the tiny Vauxhall Tigra apart. In other words, carry children or adults to the pub on the back seat by all means, but forget it for anything else. As I've said, the designers have opted for a boot rather than the fifth door those sloping rear lines might lead you to expect. This brings with it predictable drawbacks in luggage capacity which arent helped by the luggage aperture being rather small. Can you nit-pick? Of course you can. It could be quieter and visibility could be better.