Interior and tech
There’s clearly been an attempt by Renault to make the Mégane’s interior feel more high-end than previous versions. And, to an extent, it’s succeeded. The minimal design with its big central portrait touchscreen makes it look luxurious. There’s also an array of soft, padded materials that feel upmarket, too. However, the finish lets the interior down slightly. Being able to feel the rough edges, sharp cuts and moulding marks of some of the plastics and the occasional wobble of a button undermines the sophisticated design and plush-feeling materials. The seats are great though, whether you’re in the standard chairs or the adjustable Recaro buckets of the Trophy.
Although the lack of buttons makes for an appealing-looking interior, it does mean that changing the air con temperature, radio volume or satnav zoom is not simply a quick twist or prod of a button or knob. Instead you have to go through a laborious sequence of repeatedly trying to slide panels on the screen up and out to reveal the controls to finally achieve what you want.
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The Trophy-R goes down the path of previous top-end Renault Sport cars in offering you a fairly basic cabin, but one adorned with some gorgeous extras. The centre console, for instance, is a basic one we don’t even get in regular UK Méganes, but can be excused for the weight saving it brings. What you gain instead is a tactile Alcantara-rimmed steering wheel, a stunning pair of Sabelt one-piece bucket seats not dissimilar to those in the Alpine A110 (but with an even greater motorsport flavour), absent rear seats, and a chassis brace bar and cargo net in their place.
It’s not quite to the same level as the old R26.R’s deep buckets, harnesses and half-cage, but it does make the Trophy-R feel special.
