The New Renault Megane RS Is Here With 276bhp And Four-Wheel Steering

The latest Megane Renault Sport has been revealed in Frankfurt, with a new automatic gearbox option and rear-axle steering

Matt Robinson

12 Sep 2017

The New Renault Megane RS Is Here With 276bhp And Four-Wheel Steering

Even towards the end of its life, the last Megane Renault Sport was a masterclass in how a hot hatchback should feel. Yes, there were faster and more extreme cars in the class by then, but none had quite the delicacy, so don’t be put off by the fact the new one - revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show today - has ‘only’ 276bhp to play with. Because if it’s anything like the old one, it should be deliriously good to drive.

Things are certainly looking promising under the bonnet: gone is the old 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four, replaced with a new 1.8-litre unit. It’s the same basic engine as the gnarly sounding four-pot in the new Alpine A110, and as well as 276bhp, it puts out 288lb ft of torque.

The thrust is sent exclusively to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual or - for the first time in one of these cooking Meganes - a six-speed automatic, complete with launch control system. The standard car makes do with an open differential, but if you spec the more focused ‘Cup’ chassis, you get a Torsen limited-slip differential.

All cars get hydraulic bump stops, as well as ‘4Control’ all-wheel steering, which sees the rear wheels angle in the opposite direction to the fronts at lower speeds to help agility, while adding stability at higher speeds by turning the rears in the same direction.

The bodywork has been suitably beefed up - it’s now 60mm wider at the front and 45mm wider at the rear compared to a Megane GT. Extra marks must be awarded for the gigantic rear diffuser, and the fabulous ‘RS Vision’ light arrangement in the lower front grilles.

On the inside you’ll find sports seats with integrated headrests, and a whole lot of red stitching. The cabin can either be specced with a “‘carbon fibre weave” finish, or festooned with Alcantara.

Want one? It goes on sale in the UK during Spring 2018 for around £28,000. Or if you don’t mind waiting a little while, a Trophy version will be making an appearance nearer the end of next year, with 296bhp and - we’re predicting - some front-wheel drive Nurburgring bragging rights.

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

They say it makes 276hp only for people to find out it’s actually making 350hp later on.

Jokes aside, first time I’ve heard about this (in my country at least) regarding Renault.
Is this a common thing for them to understate the power of the RS models?

Checkered Flag Fog Light . . . . . . .hmmm

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“276bhp” we get it Renault. It’s got 320 horses

I like the idea of it, I want to like it, but I simply can’t. Design simply doesn’t cut it, and I’d have to explain to people why I bough a Renault, and then if I had the Type R, well peole would let me through every time, and I’d have the attention of every kid in my town. But then again, so much price for FWD? Dunno logic would probably take me to buy a Golf R, but in the end my heart would take me to buy a Focus RS

Focus FTW

The Golf is too common, so is the Focus. That why I’d go for the Megane or the Civic

Why is there such a hype around Type R recently? Fast Renaults are legendary as well and especially previous Mégane RS was known as a great hot hatch and was very favourite car for track days. And I am not a Reanult fan btw.

Anybody who questions you for buying a hot Renault has no idea what they’re on about.

Instead of making complicated systems like 4ws, they could’ve just gone RWD and it would have been just as good, if not better handling.

Yeah and the car would be even more expensive

What is the point, business wise, to develop a RWD hot hatch based on a FWD platform ? Huge R&D investment and losing money to satisfy a handfull petrolheads ?