NeoCars / TOP 5 NEO CARS / Renault

Renault's corporate handout material claims that the company's history might surprise you - and guess what? They're right. Fair enough.

With a history only slightly shorter than Ford, the company begun by the inventor of the automobile, the chances are they will get taken for granted.

So, a quick quiz: What is Europe's top-selling car-maker? Yes, Renault. Which company developed the car seat-belt? Renault again. And who came up with crash-testing? Yep, that would be Renault again.

All well and good so far, but you don't crack the list of favourite Neo Cars by resting on your laurels. The new generation of Renaults looks good. Really good. Well, they are French so you'd expect a certain style.

The safety features are top-notch, comfort is excellent and performance delivers on all expectations. And the company is still delivering innovations.

Independent reviewer John Mellor of Go Auto says of the Megane dCi sedan: "Until now, Renault could only sit back and watch as all of its European rivals (and Mazda) exploit the strong growth of diesel passenger car sales in Australia. However, the French seem to have learnt from the others' mistakes, because the new Megane dCi sedan is big on features, small on price and - vitally - comes with an automatic option" ... more