Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

128 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

T

he fi ght in the dog, it’s
said, counts for more than
the dog in the fi ght. While the
engine under the bonnet of the
new Renault Megane RS 280 is
smaller than before, it’s a very
fi ghty four...
Its central exhaust pipes bark
when the RS’s double-clutch
transmission snaps to a higher
gear as the tachometer needle
swings towards the red zone.
The upshift drops engine
revs into the best part of the
turbocharged 1.8-litre engine’s
boost zone. Then the rush of
acceleration resumes.
Strong performance is a
hot-hatch must-have. Power and
torque maxima of 205kW and
390Nm put the Megane RS
among the leaders of the
$40,000-$50,000 hot-hatch pack.
There’s smoothness to go
with the Renault Sport engine’s
strength. Induction noise is
artifi cially enhanced, but it’s
subtly done and sounds natural.
The engine is polite at low revs
and the full-strength turbo thrust
that arrives at around 2500rpm

fl ows unabated all the way to the

7000rpm cut-out.

The Megane RS 280 Sport

with a six-speed manual costs

$44,990. The six-speed double

clutch version is $47,490. A Cup

Chassis package, with stiffer

suspension, upgraded Brembo

brakes, 19-inch black alloys and

a Torsen mechanical limited slip

diff, add $1490.

While the engine is exactly

what brand fans will expect from

Renault Sport, everything else

about the new Megane RS is

a departure from the formula

that earned the badge a stellar

reputation in Australia, its third-

biggest global market.

There are fi ve doors instead

of three and, for the fi rst time,

the option of a double-clutch

automatic transmission.

Although these changes are

certain to greatly broaden the

Megane RS’s appeal, they don’t

diminish its street cred.

Renault Sport executives

insisted on being able to make

changes to the exterior of the

basic Megane to create the

RS, so it wears different, wider

bodywork. The increases, 60mm

over the front wheels and 45mm

at the rear axle, add muscle to

the shape. Specifi c bumpers,

big wheels, wide rubber and

slightly lower suspension further

enhance the effect.

More important alterations,

from a driver’s perspective, are

hidden. The new RS has its own

version of the 4Control electric

rear-steer system featured

in the less powerful and less

expensive Megane GT.

The Megane RS has specially

developed shock absorbers, too.

They feature inbuilt hydraulic

bump stops, a technology

borrowed from rally cars.

These, together with Renault

Sport’s small but expert

alterations to front suspension

geometry, make the Megane

RS an exceptionally agile and

comfortable hot hatch. The

suspension absorbs the baddest

of bumps without audible

complaint, yet rails around

corners. Responses to even small

steering inputs are brilliantly

prompt and precise, thanks in part

to the car’s rear-steer technology.

Another bonus of 4Control is

a decently tight turning circle.

Brembo brakes are standard.

Flaws are few. There’s wind

noise at motorway speeds and

tyre noise rises signifi cantly on

coarse chip surfaces.

The double-clutch version

occasionally dithers over which

gear to pick and its column-

mounted shift paddles are too

short to be truly useful. Rear

seat room isn’t best in class. And

though the interior features fi ne

sports front seats, a leather- and

Alcantara-wrapped steering

wheel, and other decorative

touches, it lacks the glamour of

the exterior.

A more costly Trophy version,

with a fraction more power, is

expected later in 2019.

By John Carey

RENAULT MEGANE RS FROM $44,990 S

THINGS WE LIKE

 Renault Sport always does a great

hot hatch

 Muscular performance

 One of the best handlers in the

class

 Smooth, precise manual gearbox

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

B-grade interior quality

Double-clutch gearbox can dither

Wind and tyre noise levels can be

high

Pricey

SPEX

Made in Spain

1.8-litre turbopetrol four-cylinder/

six-speed manual/front-wheel

drive

205kW of power at 6000rpm/390Nm

of torque from 2400-4800rpm

0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds (claimed)

6.2L/100km highway; 9.5L/100km

city; 98 premium; CO2 emissions

are 168gkm

Warranty: Five years/unlimited km

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, sports seats, 18-inch

alloys, LED headlights, head-up

display, adaptive cruise control,

autonomous emergency braking,

blind spot monitoring, camera,

hands-free parking, 8.7-inch

touchscreen, Bluetooth, digital

radio, Bose audio

Redbook future values: 3yr: 47%;

5yr: 32%

compare with ...

Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Honda Civic

Type R, Hyundai i30N, Subaru WRX,

VW Golf GTi

Safety

Euro NCAP

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money



Overall

STARS