There are times when this job seems pointless and this is one of them. I can — and, of course, will — tell you what the new Renault Mégane is like to drive, elaborate on its technical features and describe its thoughtful safety provisions. But you will only go and buy one if you like the way it looks.

It is not a car that you can disregard, as in “I don’t care what it looks like as long as it’s reliable and goes all right”. The new Mégane demands your approval in a similar fashion to its aesthetically radical stablemates, the Vel Satis executive hatchback and Avantime coupé. You will love it or hate it and the jury is still out on the majority view.

Mould-breaking designs do sometimes hit the spot. Four years ago some people were sceptical about the Ford Focus, with its tall body’s mixture of curves and sharp edges. It was a far cry from the traditional and utterly mundane Escort but the Focus soon became established as Britain’s most popular car.

Last year there were three important new entries into this class of family hatchback. There was little to choose between them dynamically, although none reached the high driving standard of the Focus. The prettiest, the swoopy Peugeot 307, is a great success, while the more versatile Fiat Stilo and the unusually spacious Honda Civic have struggled to find customers.

Now Renault has joined the fray. The Mégane, like the Stilo, has markedly different three and five-door versions. The three-door Sport Hatch is the more odd of the two with its squared-off roof extension above a rakish coupé window line. The idea, of course, is to provide equivalent space to the five-door. I am sorry to go on about the styling, but you should know that it is better at getting your attention than providing practical benefits; legroom is more restricted than in the Focus, the distinctive tailgate “bustle” steals load space and the broad rear pillars and shallow vertical back window limit vision.

Apart from its looks, what is special about the new Mégane? In short, safety and gadgets. Renault is proud that its Laguna was the first car to be awarded a maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests and is confident of a similarly good result for the new Mégane. Every version has at least eight airbags — the Sports Hatch has no fewer than 10. The extra two airbags are under the front seats and are actually made of metal; if triggered in an accident they push up the forward edge of the seat to prevent you sliding under the safety belt.

It is the first car in this class to standardise a card key system, which means that it also has a separate starter button. Since the card is almost as bulky as a conventional key I am not sure this is an advantage. For an extra £250 you can have “hands-free” locking, just like the system offered for a posh Mercedes: the car detects the card key even when it’s in your pocket or handbag, freeing you from fumbling for a remote fob and pushing buttons.

Inside, Renault’s designers have made a big effort to improve the look and feel of the materials and the shape and positioning of the controls. So the gearlever is longer and closer to the steering wheel than in most cars of this type and the handbrake is a U-shaped affair rather like an aircraft thottle control; this seems unnecessarily bulky but it does make room for a generously sized storage box between the seats.

The steering has power assistance provided by an electric motor and is arranged to be light when manoeuvring slowly and to require more effort at higher speeds. It also has positive self-centring, which can feel like kickback and which some drivers find disconcerting. I liked the steering and the Mégane’s road behaviour generally, but it doesn’t match the precision of the Focus.

I drove two versions of the Mégane, a five-door with a 1.6 litre 16-valve petrol engine and a top-of-the-line Sports Hatch dCi, which has Renault’s latest 1.9 litre diesel engine mated to a six-speed gearbox. The diesel has only a 5bhp power advantage but a lot more torque, so it seemed more willing, and its 52mpg average fuel consumption is 20% better than the petrol model can manage.

This 120bhp diesel is one of the best — even if creates more noise and vibration than the TDCi equivalent now available in the Focus — and seems the sensible choice for the Mégane. Until you look at the price list. The Mégane line-up starts at £10,500 with a 1.4 litre petrol engine. Thereafter, four more engines and four levels of trim take prices up to £15,750. The difference between the 1.6 litre petrol engine and the 1.9 dCi with the same level of equipment is £2,000, which could buy you a lot of petrol.

The three and five-door hatchbacks are only the start for what will be a very wide range of Méganes. In the coming year Renault will launch a four-door saloon, an estate and a convertible with a retractable hardtop, plus two versions of the most important derivative, the new Scénic. As the original mini-MPV, the Scénic made the first-generation Mégane a success. The hatchbacks never sold in huge numbers, which is why it was worth the risk of going radical for their replacements.

Vital statistics

Model Sports Hatch dCi
Capacity 1870cc
Power 120bhp @ 4000rpm
Torque 199lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Suspension (front) McPherson struts, anti-roll bar; (rear) torsion beam axle, coil springs
Tyres 195/65 R15
Fuel 52.3mpg (combined)
CO2 144g/km
Company £995 for a car tax higher-rate taxpayer
Acceleration 0 to 60mph: 10.3sec
Top speed 122mph
Insurance Group 7E
Price £14,000
Verdict The eyes have it. Wild looks are its greatest strength - or weakness