It’s here, it’s finally here! After months of teasing and looking at the Koleos and dreaming of the same look being on a Megane, the wait is finally over! Man is it a stunning piece of machinery – if this isn’t in the top five most good looking cars of 2017, we’d be shocked!
Renault Sport has pulled the wraps of the new Renault Megane R.S which has been developed with the input of Nico Hulkenberg and the numbers are simply spectacular. It’s all-new 1.8-litre direct injection, turbocharged engine makes a 280 hp with 390 Nm of torque from as low as 2,400 rpm. The meager engine’s staggering output is owed to developments on the redesigned cylinder head, higher capacity dual-intake air filter, twin-scroll turbocharger and exhaust. Its combined fuel consumption is rated at 6.9L/100km.
There will be two different transmissions available in the Megane R.S. – a six-speed manual and a six-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) automatic transmission. It’s trademark agility is now enhanced with 4CONTROL technology with four-wheel steering, a first in its segment. The feature which will come as standard in both Cup and Sport variants allows the steering to be more incisive while the turning circle is even tighter when manoeuvring.
Renault Sport has had a hand in the gearshift calibrations while the EDC’s gear shift times have been optimised for greater performance. It’s supplemented by the Multi-change down technology which allows fast sequential downshifts together with launch control in either Sport or Race mode.
With such performance pedigree, its got the expressive and sporty form to go with its substance too. A Formula 1-style blade is finished in gun metal satin stands out from the body’s high gloss paint work while wider air intakes will provide more air for the intercoolers and engine. Extractor vents are also provided, positioned behind the front wheels for better cooling.
Overall width of the Megane R.S. has been increased together with new 18 and 19-inch wheels. 355mm rotors with Brembo calipers occupy the front with bi-material cast iron and aluminium brake discs as optional upgrades.
Under its skin, the new Megane R.S.’s Cup and Sport chassis has also been enhanced with front and rear hydraulic compression stops, to provide additional damping and PerfoHub independent steering axis front suspension which will provide more stiffness than before. A Torsen limited slip differential is only available in the Cup variant.
Inside the Megane gets an upgraded R.S. Monitor in the form of a 8.7-inch TFT display with R-Link 2 which displays driver’s performance in real time, camera connectivity to film a drive while the R.S. Replay allows owners within to Renault Sport community to engage with one another. Its MULTI-SENSE system offers five different driving modes including Comfort, Normal, Sport, Race and Perso for a more individualised driving setup. The R.S Drive mode on the other hand offers quick access to Sport and Race modes.
The Megane R.S will comes with a suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which can be activated or deactivated though R-Link. They include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Safe Distance Warning (SDW), Traffic Sign Recognition with Over Speed Prevention (TSR with OSP), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), reveerse cameras and parking sensors.
The Megane R.S will feature a new colour, called the Volcanic Orange which projects a certain special effect as light reflects off its body, on top of its iconic Liquid Yellow. Next year, Renault is even expected to introduce a Trophy version of Megane R.S. with a 300 hp/400Nm power plant.
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