The new Renault Mégane RS Trophy has finally arrived in South Africa, with the French firm whittling down its RS range to just this single model.
Interestingly, that means the dual-clutch RS 280 Lux and manual RS 280 Cup, both of which were priced at R614 900, have effectively been discontinued locally.
Just seven Trophy units have been imported into South Africa, with each of the three manual versions priced at R774 900 and each of the four dual-clutch models at R799 900. Renault SA says more units could follow in 2021, although confirmed the Trophy-R was not on the cards for a local introduction.
Revealed as long ago as July 2018, the Mégane RS Trophy gains increased power and what the French brand describes as a variety of “additional performance-focused” features.
In the RS Trophy, the 1,8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been tweaked to provide the front wheels with 221 kW (up from the 205 kW in the aforementioned models). Combined with a six-speed manual gearbox, peak torque sits at 400 N.m, while specifying the six-speed EDC dual-clutch transmission sees this figure rise to 420 N.m.
Based on the Cup chassis, which boasts stiffer suspension and a Torsen mechanical limited-slip differential, the Mégane RS Trophy furthermore gains bi-material 355 mm front brake discs, specific 19-inch ‘Jerez’ alloys and high-performance 245/35 Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres.
New front seats, trimmed in Alcantara and sited 20 mm lower than standard, are also offered.
In addition, the new flagship has been fitted with a mechanical valve in its rear silencer that enables the engine note to be adjusted. The position of the valve, automatically controlled according to the drive mode selected, the engine speed and load, provides two tones: one that Renault says is “sporty” but “easy on the ears” and a second that unleashes the “full potential” of the soundtrack.
