Renault Megane RS

Renault Megane R.S Exterior

The Renault Megane R.S boast an athletic front end, featuring an aggressively styled bumper with Formula One inspired front blade in gun metal grey, and gloss-black honeycomb radiator grille stamped with R.S double diamond with Renault Sport badging.

The chequered flag shaped LED fog lamp cluster is a nod to Renault’s motor racing heritage. Renault’s Pure Vision full LED front headlights with integrated C-Shape daytime running light/turn signal, coupled with the rear LED 3D Edge light to give the hot hatch its distinctive look. Pronounced wheel arches featuring functional side extractor vents gives the car a wide and sporty stance.

Chrome elements can be found on the window weatherstrips and door handles while the side mirrors are finished in gloss black paint. A wide lip spoiler and a racing inspired functional rear diffuser featuring a central exhaust exit completes the overall sporty exterior. Orange Tonic and Liquid Yellow are RS Model exclusive exterior colours which comes as a cost option.

The Renault Megane R.S has grown significantly in size compared to its 3-door predecessor, measuring in at 65 mm longer and 27 mm wider than the model it replaces. Despite the two extra doors, its overall footprint is no larger than the Mercedes AMG A35 or the Honda Civic Type R that sports a similar 5 door layout.

Renault Megane R.S Interior

The Renault comes with carbon black R.S badged fabric upholstered seats with red stitching as standard with options to upgrade to the premium grey alcantara sport seats. The R.S exclusive steering wheel with a red top marker and the gear lever knob are both finished in premium perforated nappa leather with red contrast stitching.

The dashboard and door panels are finished in black soft touch material with ‘carbon grey’ trims, plus a hint of red accents around the cabin for that added sporty touch. The 8.7-inch central touchscreen infotainment system is portrait oriented and sits within a bezel that is larger than it needs to be.

Access to the rear is more convenient now thanks to the rear doors. Interior space is adequate for both the front and rear occupants with decent head and knee room, though it can feel a touch claustrophobic with its overall dark interior theme including the head lining, finished in ‘black harmony’.

Renault Megane R.S Features

Renault’s 4Contol 4-wheel steering system turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheel at low speed (up to 2.7 degree). However, at speed of over 60 km/h (100 km/h in Race mode), all four wheels turns in the same direction (up to 1 degree) for improved high-speed stability.

Standard onboard features include handsfree key card, dual-zone automatic climate control, 8.7-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility connected to an Arkamys 3D sound system. EDC variant gets electronic parking brake and paddle shifters while the manual variant gets a third aluminium clutch pedals.

Also included are the 19-inch ‘Interlagos’ alloy wheels with 245/35 Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres, R.S custom braking system and Renault’s Multi-Sense system with five driving modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport, Race and Personal).

In terms of safety, the Renault comes equipped with 6 airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), ABS with emergency brake assist, tyre repair kit, ISOFIX child seat anchor point and tyre pressure monitoring system. Driver assistance system includes rear parking sensors, cruise control with speed limiter and Hill Start Assist.

Renault Megane R.S Powertrain Performance

Both EDC and the manual variant are powered by the same Renault’s 1.8 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with direct injection technology, delivering a respectable 284 PS at 6,000 RPM and 390 NM of torque from 2,400 RPM. Stand still to 100 km/h is completed in an impressive 5.8 seconds for both variants, matching the higher capacity 2.0 L Honda Civic Type R. Top speed for the manual variant is 255km/h, 5 km/h higher than the 2020 Mercedes AMG A35.

The available onboard R.S. Drive adapts to the selected driving mode by altering the gearbox mapping (EDC variant), ESP behavior, steering weight and throttle pedal mapping. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) for the Auto EDC variant. Also included is launch control and aluminium paddle shifter for manual override.

The manual variant is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission with short throw in the gear shifts for a more engaging drive. Performance on paper is identical for both variants with the manual narrowly edging out the EDC variant in terms of top speed by 5 km/h.

Renault Megane R.S Ride Comfort

The sporty Cup variant benefits from the technical knowhow of Renault Sport in adapting motorsports technologies into production sports vehicles. Based on the more track focused Cup chassis, the advanced suspension system features hydraulic compression stops for superior shock and impact absorption.

The front double-axis strut system (DASS) together with the stiffer spring, dampers and anti-roll bar compensates for the understeer tendency commonly suffered by front-wheel-drive cars. Also included exclusively on the Cup chassis is Renault’s Torsen limited slip differential. It delivers asymmetry transfer rate for acceleration and deceleration for improved traction and cornering speed.

Renault Megane R.S Conclusion

While many manufacturers claim to have features that are ‘racing inspired’, few can back up that bold claim with proper sporting credential like Renault does with their involvement in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and Formula One. The Renault Megane R.S is indeed an impressive piece of kit, and it is quite a looker too. Despite sitting on a sporty Cup chassis, road damping is exceptional without compromising comfort and handling. 

That said, the rear-wheel-steering remains an acquired taste, not unlike a shopping trolley, it takes some getting used to. Amongst the highly competitive performance hatchback segment dominated by the usual Japanese and Germans contenders, the Renault Megane R.S is a breath of fresh air, offering a setup that is equally if not more effective than its competition, but with a touch of quirky French flair.