Here is the proof that – with two small children – you still don’t have to resort to the stereotypical big family car market if you don’t want to.

Although it is often described as a family estate, the Renault Mégane Sport Tourer retains a sporty, sleek and youthful stance. Its recent tweaks include new gloss black bumper inserts, chrome headlight surrounds, LED daytime running lights and a new range of alloy wheels.

I drove the Mégane Sport Tourer back to its homeland for a few days, with the whole family and our mountain of luggage in tow.

The boot space is 486 litres with the seats up. We used practically all of this and remarkably managed to fit everything in.

Should you wish, you can fold the 60/40 split-folding rear seats down in a neat one-step action, leaving up to 1,567 litres available.

There is also an array of stowage points around the cabin, including front underfloor storage and bespoke storage for the rear load cover.

All models come with a handy boot divider that makes it easier to keep smaller items securely in place while on the move.

I was sharing the driving, which was fine as there was generous seat adjustment, with the driver’s seat providing lumbar adjustment and recline control.

There are three new powertrains with new Stop & Start technology that helps produce significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 levels – the 1.2 TCe 115 petrol and 1.5 dCi 110 and 1.6 dCi 130 diesels.

I drove the 1.6-litre diesel, which delivered 130hp and 320Nm of torque.

Steering was responsive and it handled well, with a smooth performance, free of jarring.

Driving on French motorways is a dream compared to many of our clogged up roads, so I was able to test it to the max. Economy was good too – going from Cheshire all the way to Rheims on just under a tank of fuel. Features include a TomTom sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity, dual zone climate control, cruise control, a parking camera with sensors, automatic wipers and headlights and a great sound system with CD player, AUX input and USB connection.

All models are equipped with ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with ASR (Anti-Skid Regulation) and CSV understeer control, ABS and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), together with a full complement of airbags.

Accessories include a cargo net, portable cool box and grille/dog guard to separate the load area from the rest of the cabin.

Touring equipment is also available, with a choice of towbars, bike racks and carriers, roof box and roof bars.

Fact File:
Car: Renault Mégane Sport Tourer GT
Line Price: £23,605
Top speed: 124mph
0-62mph: 10.1 seconds
Fuel: 70mpg (combined)
CO2 emissions: 104g/km