The Megane RS has been with us for a few years now however to spice things up a bit, Renault has given it a mild face-lift and has added some new features.
Its distinctive two-door coupe like body has remained unchanged but they have worked on the front and rear end of the car. At the front there are new, more stylish headlights like on the less racier versions. There is also a new front splitter which has apparently drawn inspiration from F1 technology. The splitter still features daytime running lights which do look tasteful. Some die-hard fans, such as Autodealer Editor, Sean Nurse reckons that the headlights make the car look softer and less aggressive. I tend to agree with him however I think that the aggression has been left for the hard core RS Trophy mode. At the rear there is a new set of taillights, they look more modern and compliment the front end of the car plus a nice chrome surround for the centre mounted exhaust.
The model also benefits from 18-inch anthracite grey RS alloy wheels which do look rather good.
Inside the new RS Lux model luxury items such as leather sports seats, and automatic headlights have been added as standard features. There is even a TomTom SatNav system as well as a touchscreen mounted on the top of the dashboard. The infotainment toggle stick is still located on the lower centre console and is easy to use. There are some extra options available such as the rear park assist with rear camera which will cost you about R5000 and a glass roof, which does not open, that costs R8000. The cabin is nice and the sports bucket seats might not be to everyone’s taste but they do offer fantastic support. Ease of entry and start is complimented by the hands-free key card.
Remember, this is a performance hatchback, it has been designed to offer a blend of luxury and performance, after all, its main rivals are the Astra OPC, Ford Focus ST and the all mighty Golf GTI.
About that performance, this model that I drove is known as the RS 265, 265 being the number of horsepower and here in sunny South Africa, that translates to 195kW and 360Nm of torque. Expect to reach 100km/h in around six seconds. The Megane RS is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged motor and power is sent to the front wheels via a brilliant 6-speed manual gearbox.
Now there is something else that caught my attention within the cabin, a small little button to the right of the steering wheel. It says RS Mode on it, push this and everything changes, the car tingles with excitement and the throttle becomes hyper sensitive. The exhaust note is more prominent and everything comes alive. I thrashed the car down a very wet and twisty mountain road and it behaved superbly.
I was left impressed and convinced however, when it comes to the finer refinement details, there is no beating the Golf GTI. As far as what a well set-up, ready to race hot hatchback goes then the Megane RS, in any guise, Lux or Trophy takes the cake but when it comes to a practical, everyday fast hatchback then one might want to consider the Golf GTI. Thankfully though I don’t have the money to afford either of them so my decision doesn’t count, but if I did have the money, and after driving the Megane RS and realizing just how much of a proper sports car it is the decision will not be easy between the Megane RS and Golf GTI, wait, what about the Astra OPC and the Focus ST?
