WHEN after a good 60 miles the fuel gauge had hardly moved on Renault's new Megane I thought it must be broken.

It was only when I glanced at the stats for the car that I stumbled upon the reason for the frozen display - the French company's remarkable 1.5 dCi engine married to a high tech dual clutch automatic transmission.

The 110bhp four-cylinder oil burner linked to the smooth auto gearbox makes the Megane surprisingly quick off the mark with low carbon dioxide emissions and an average fuel consumption figure slightly north of 64mpg.

This version of the Megane is actually more economical than a similar car with a manual gearbox.

The fuel efficient, rain forest friendly performance means running costs are kept to a minimum and, yes, you may occasionally think the fuel gauge is defective.

In addition to the 1.5dCi, Renault offers a good choice of petrol and diesel engines with the Megane.

They are all anything but slouches however the emphasis is on a relaxing and comfortable drive rather than hair-on-fire performance.

The Megane is designed to ensure a family completes a long journey with the minimum of fuss. The set up is conservative focusing on safe handling and a smooth ride.

The Megane offers good levels of grip and body lean is well contained while the steering is responsive so the car turns crisply into corners.

Renault's recent obsession with bottoms is consigned to history with the third generation of the Megane.

The latest model is a more traditionally styled family hatchback that, yes, offers a nicely designed rear end but doesn't go down the love it/hate it road of the previous generation's ‘ass-shaking' design.

That's not to say Renault has gone all fuddy duddy as a few minutes in the cabin is enough to realise this is a classy motor which is well thought out and put together.

There is a feeling of quality from the soft-touch textiles to the sculpted and supportive front seats. Even the doors add to the aura of luxury as closing them elicits a confidence-inducing thunk.

The Megane is a spacious beast with decent dimensions ensuring comfort - particularly in the back where generous legroom caters for all but the most giraffe-like of passengers.

The boot has 405-litres of space making it one of the largest in its class, so the weekly supermarket shopping can be accommodated with ease.

The centre console layout is chic and stylish with everything logically placed and easy to use while modern touches include a push-button ignition system and a digital speedometer.

Renault has a tremendous reputation for safety and ensures the Megane is equipped with a plethora of systems designed both to keep the car on the road and protect occupants if an accident can't be avoided.

All models are fitted with a stability control system as well as front, side and curtain airbags so it's no surprise the Megane has achieved the maximum five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests.

There's also a decent amount of goodies thrown in to the mix with the Dynamique adding a leather steering wheel, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control, a stereo system with Bluetooth connectivity, and satellite navigation to the entry-level Extreme's air conditioning and Expression's electric windows and front fog lights.

The Privilege model adds other luxuries such as dual-zone climate control and electrically folding door mirrors, while the GT version has a Reanaultsport-tuned chassis and 18-inch alloys.