Renault Megane’s future hanging in the balance

Renault is reportedly considering dropping the Megane from its line-up due to the rise of electric vehicles in Europe and worsening sales figures.

According to Britain’s Auto Express, sales of the Megane on the Old Continent topped out at 209 845 units last year compared to the 465 732 from a decade ago, with La Riege’s Head of Design, Laurens van den Acker, adding further fuel to the fire by stating that the model’s development costs could instead be redirected towards electric vehicles.

“Inevitably, once we’re starting to add a range of EVs to our line-up, some of the other vehicles are going to have to go because we just can’t afford to develop all of this at the same time. The Megane is in a segment that’s increasingly under pressure. You have to put your money where the future of the market is,” van den Acker told the publication.

The recipient of an extensive overhaul back in February, which saw the inclusion of the new E-Tech hybrid powertrain, the Megane has also lost ground to its chief rival, the Volkswagen Golf in the UK, with Auto Express reporting that a mere 2 699 were sold last year compared to Wolfsburg’s shifting of 58 994 Golfs.

Matters are similarly bleak on local shores were the Megane has consecutively rated as the poorest selling model in Renault South Africa’s line-up with double digit sales number seldom being recorded.

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