French car manufacturers are famed for their Gallic flair and an enviable ability to bless their vehicles with a certain ‘je ne se quoi’.

The first time you tackle a corner in the all-new Renault Megane, you might find yourself saying ‘I don’t know what’ is happening to the back end of this vehicle!

Indeed, I had to ask my passengers to pardon my French as the car’s rear end twitched and I got a worrying feeling of oversteer.

But fear not, for the uneasy rear end movement in relation to both the vehicle and my bowels was caused by a four-wheel-steering system, which takes a fair bit of getting used to.

At low speeds, it turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to those at the front. When you reach higher speeds, the rear wheels go in the same direction as the front.

Despite my initial reservations and natural Yorkshire attitude that ‘change is not good’, I found myself slowly warming to what Renault describes as its 4Control system.

The wheels-in-opposite-direction trick has the effect of making the vehicle easier to manoeuvre at lower speeds when changing lanes or steering round tight corners. It’s a nimbleness that actually becomes quite addictive.

At the same time, I came to realise that the steering mechanism - which is unique in class - also adds stability when cornering at higher speeds and gives the driver increased confidence, with the rear wheels dancing to the same tune as the front.

It’s a clever piece of technology in the sense that it makes the Megane, which is now longer and wider, feel more nimble and smaller than ever. It remains to be seen whether or not Megane owners will see the four-wheel-steering system as a help or hindrance - it’s a very subjective issue. But, eventually, I found it to be something a bit different, rather good fun and a practical help in certain situations.

The GT version of the new fourth generation Megane, tested here, is the range topper. As such, it’s the fastest and most exciting model currently available. The turbo-charged 1.6-litre engine is capable of powering the car from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds, which feels pretty nippy in most everyday situations. The power is readily available at a consistent level throughout the rev-range. The box on automatic mode feels fairly responsive, although you can access maximum performance by switching to using the paddles mounted on the side of the steering wheel.

The new Megane certainly looks the part. A part of the sport range, the GT-Line Nav provides a more dynamic appearance. To the front, a wider lower air intake with a honeycomb-pattern mesh is flanked by lateral scoops. Dark metal 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels and door mirror housings match the finish on the front air scoops and rear diffuser.

It may seem a slightly superficial observation, but I also enjoyed the way the ambient lighting strips that are integrated in the doors changed colour when you switched from one driving mode to another. The colour of the rev counter also changes accordingly. Blue denotes comfort mode, yellow means neutral, purple lighting stands for the personalised mode and the louder, red lighting confirms that you’ve switched into sport guise.

While on the subject of the cabin, it’s worth mentioning the infotainment system. The very large, 8.7-inch portrait touchscreen is incredibly user-friendly and must rank among the best systems around at present.

The sizeable buttons are easy to see and press and the screen also has a pinch-and-zoom function which makes life that little bit easier.

In terms of comfort, the driver has no problem finding a decent driving position thanks to a two-way adjustable steering column, and a height adjustable driver seat.

The Mégane is being offered in a 25-version line-up based on six trim levels familiar to owners of other Renault vehicles – Expression+, Dynamique Nav, Dynamique S Nav, Signature Nav, GT-Line Nav and GT Nav.