It’s been a long wait punctuated by the odd teaser, but the new Renault Mégane RS has finally been fully revealed in Frankfurt.
The latest version of the French hot hatch ditches the old 2,0-litre turbocharged petrol engine in favour of a 1,8-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbo version – already seen in the Alpine A110 – tuned to deliver 205 kW and 390 N.m (up from the outgoing RS 275’s 201 kW and 360 N.m). Peak torque is on tap from 2 400 r/min to 5 000 r/min.
And, as we already knew, the new model boasts four-wheel steering, along with the choice of two transmission options (specifying the freshly developed six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sees the addition of paddle-shifters and a launch control system). In addition, there will be two chassis options – Sport and Cup, each with specific suspension settings – at launch.
However, the French automaker has also confirmed that a Trophy version will be added to the range before the end of 2018, with the same 1,8-litre boosted to deliver peak outputs of 220 kW and 400 N.m.
The new Mégane RS features wider wings than those of the standard C-segment hatchback (extended by 60 mm fore and 45mm aft, when compared to the GT model), while its overall width has also been increased. It furthermore gains 355 mm front discs with Brembo callipers, along with the option of “bi-material” cast iron and aluminium brake discs.
The Cup chassis also gains a new Torsen limited slip differential, featuring different lock-up values under acceleration and deceleration for enhanced traction. Five driving modes will be available: comfort, normal, sport, race (which deactivates the ESC) and an individual “perso” mode.
