Renault Megane RS is not dead yet, continues until 2023

The Renault Megane does not appear to have completely ended production as has been reported and will continue to be part of the local lineup in 2023.

While overseas reports (such as Autocar) speak Megane no longer in production, Renault’s local Ateco distributor tells us this is not the case, at least for our market, where the hot RS is the only variant offered.

“Production has not yet ended in Australia and Megane will resume in limited numbers into 2023,” an Ateco spokesperson said, although it did not confirm how much more. More meganes will be imported.

Renault Australia’s lineup will be consolidated by the end of 2023 with Megane E-Tech Electrican electric hatchback cum-crossover that is visually similar on the same CMF-EV platform to the upcoming Nissan Ariya.

By calling it the Megane, Renault seems to have left the door open for it to replace the existing combustion engine model globally – something it is expected to do with the same long-term Scenic nameplate, previewed in concept form like this year Scenic Vision concept.

The petrol-powered Megane is by far Renault’s lowest production vehicle in Australia, especially following the brand’s decision to phase out the small car line in favor of only automatic and manual RS variants. Trophy.

Renault sold just 123 Meganes in Australia in 2021. This is down significantly from the 1259 it delivered in 2017, the first year it was sold.

80 units have been sold here this year through the end of June, with Renault’s next-lowest production line being Kangoo (467).

Megane was outsold a bit by Ford Focus (88 units), another low-displacement small car that ditched the more mainstream hatch and wagon variants and is now offered exclusively in hot hatch guise.

While the Megane has received some minor spec updates in 2021, it is about to face a fresh competition from the likes of Cupra Leon, Toyota GR CorollaThe updated Ford Focus ST and the new generation of CHEAP Honda Civic.

The current, fourth-generation Megane was revealed in 2015 and went on sale locally in late 2016. With Megane generations typically lasting around 6-8, it appears to be nearing the end of its life. .

Range has been significantly cut back in Australia since launch.

The wagon and sedan models (above), introduced in 2017, were dropped in 2019 along with the entry-level hatch, while the RS Sport and RS Cup hatchbacks are shaft in 2021. That year, the RS Trophy received a larger screen inside the cabin.

The leftover RS ​​Trophy received a massive $6100 price increase in March 2022 with no additional equipment, followed by a $2210 increase in July. It now starts at $62,300 before shipping.

Despite the similar looks, the upcoming Megane E-Tech Electric measures 4199mm long and 1768-1783mm wide with a 2685mm wheelbase.

That makes it 165mm shorter and up to 107mm thinner than the Megane RS Trophy hatch despite having a 15mm longer wheelbase.

Renault has yet to confirm which variant will be offered in Australia, but in Europe it will be available with 40kWh and 60kWh battery options.

The first has an expected driving range of 300km, while the second will be good for around 470km. There are two electric motor options up front, one with 96kW of power and 250Nm of torque and one with 165kW and 300Nm.

The Megane E-Tech Electric is also relatively light at around 1600kg depending on variant – making it around 400kg lighter than Tesla Model Y.

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