2001 Renault Mgane 2.0 Coach Ide - The Clio Sport's Rowdy Younger Brother

If the Clio Sport is Renault's rowdy younger brother, then the Mgane 2.0 IDE is his more composed older sister. Renault handed us the keys to the Mgane before they did the Clio, so it was here we first became acquainted with Renault's reasonably priced, but value-laden offerings. Both cars share a large number of items from the same parts bin, including suspension type, interior pieces, stereo, headlamp and safety mechanisms. The Mgane Coach IDE sits at the top of the Mgane coupe product line, featuring a large (and a first for a European manufacturer) direct-injection engine, 15-inch wheels and sport suspension and interior to set it apart from the cheaper offerings.

The Mgane's exterior, although attractive and recently updated, can be traced to 1995 and is beginning to show its age. Our tester car, in black, still drew much attention, more so than even the Clio Sport. Perhaps the attractive, model-specific 15-inch wheels help convey a sense of elegance, but regardless, our friends preferred to be seen in the more conservative Mgane than the saucy Clio Sport.

Although the interior of the Mgane is endowed with plenty of electronic trinkets and mechanisms, the layout is very intuitive and makes getting situated simple. Wonderfully supportive seats and much appreciated features, like adjustable lumbar support, contribute to a comfortable, but aggressive, driving position. Like in the Clio, the stereo system features divorced controls and display, the latter centrally located atop the dash. Working in conjunction with a redundant set of stereo controls located in a pod on the steering wheel, this combination makes eyes less likely to wander from the road for any major length of time and helps contribute to the class-leading safety of the Mgane. Especially cool are the rear power windows, which are hinged on the leading edge and open outwards a few inches, greatly increasing cabin airflow with very small road and wind noise penalties.

What makes this car technologically important is that it is the first European car to feature a gasoline engine with direct injection (Mitsubishi pioneered this field with its GDI system), and with Renault's innovative system, we are one step closer to seeing such technology here.

The basic philosophy behind most modern lean-burn engines (the Honda CVCC engine is an early example) is that they allow for an otherwise impossibly lean air/fuel mixture, reducing emissions, fuel consumption and increasing power output (through raised compression). Most lean-burn engines work by using a very efficient air/fuel mixing process, using various strategies such as reshaped pistons and intake manifolds to increase swirl for a more stratified charge.

One of the newer branches of the group of lean-burn technologies is gasoline direct injection. Direct gasoline injection offers two major advantages: Injecting the fuel at extremely high pressure into the combustion chamber just before ignition via a closely located spark plug allows precise control of charge stratification, and thus the ignition of lean air/fuel mixtures. Secondly, with direct injection, pumping losses associated with the partial vacuum within the intake manifold are reduced.

Rather than basing its IDE (Injection Direct Essence) on Japanese systems that require a special catalytic converter, Renault instead focused on the use of high levels of EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). Conventional engines inject as much as 10-15 percent EGR into the combustion chamber at light load, effectively reducing engine capacity and pumping losses to reduce fuel consumption. Renault's IDE system, however, allows for as much as 25 percent EGR. A Siemens fuel injector is placed centrally in the combustion chamber in place of the spark plug, which is relocated and sits in an inclined position placing it directly in the fuel path. The precise metering of the air fuel ratio and high pressure at which the fuel is injected (100 bar or 1450 psi), combined with spark plug location, guarantees successful combustion, even at 25 percent EGR.

Three EGR ratios, from 25 percent to 0 percent, are preset according to engine load (0 percent is used at full throttle or at high loads, giving maximum power, but doing nothing to reduce consumption). Renault claims a 16 percent decrease in real-world consumption and actually boosts torque output over the non IDE-equipped motor from 139 lb-ft of torque to 148 by raising compression to 11.5:1 (a pre-injection of EGR cools the combustion chambers reducing the risk of detonation).

While driving the wheels of the car did little to reduce fuel consumption, we did notice better fuel economy in mellow around town driving, (something you pay attention to when shelling out more than $4 a gallon).

The same independent front and semi-independent rear suspension set-up found in the Clio Sport is found in the Mgane as well, though it features softer springs and damping, and more travel. The basic character remains more or less the same, but is just a bit more civilized for perhaps a less sport-oriented crowd. The Mgane 2.0 is perfect for country cruising, demanding nothing of you, but can hold up its end of the sporting bargain when asked to impress. Like the Clio, the Mgane is very forgiving of just about any driving style, allowing you to do stupid things before it will get out of hand. Allowing less trail braking or drop throttle oversteer than the Clio, the Mgane will nonetheless tuck in nicely and track with precision. Brake fade was never an issue and an excellent ABS system proved itself on uneven surfaces and in slick conditions. The same grippy Michelin Pilot Sports found on the Clio work well on the Mgane, though feel a bit more vague than when mounted on the former car, likely due to the increase in heft and softer suspension settings.

Smart design, elegant styling and sporting value combine to make the Mgane Coach IDE a bargain at around only $16,000 (a grand less than the Clio). Although less high-strung than her little brother, with a torquey engine and top speed of more than 130 mph, the Mgane is no poseur.

2001 Renault Mgane IDE Coach