Ford Focus beware! The French are back and they are making a bold statement with the all-new 2016 Renault Megane that was revealed at the 66th Frankfurt Motor Show. With a regular 5-door, and a hot GT version at the pavilion, Renault brings forth its new design revolution that made its debut on the Talisman and gets trickled down to the premium sporty hatch. All bold and serious, the Megane gets a complete makeover in design with sharp lines, a long front hood, and large new grille with slim headlights on either side. The quirky quotient still stays though with the C-shaped LED daytime running lights. Although, we still don’t know how much power this car would produce. The official figures on these specifications will not be revealed before the European Launch of the car.
The side profile gets a strong shoulder line and the rising waistline and slim rear windows meets the rather large wraparound tail light cluster with new signature LED lights. Cosmetic changes aren’t the only ones here, as the 2016 Renault Megane gets a new platform and is now 25 mm lower, 47 mm wider at the front and 39 mm wider at the rear, opening more space than before. Inside the cabin, the 5-door premium hatchback gets a new 7- or 9-inch portrait touchscreen infotainment display and a segment first head up display unit.
The GT versions of the Renault Megane gets the moniker embossed on the leather wrapped steering wheel and is a constant reminder of the superlative power underneath. The Megane GT also rides on the sportier 18-inch alloy wheels and accentuates the cosmetics with the new honeycomb grille, sports seats, while power comes from turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. Coming to the powertrain under the hood, Renault is yet to reveal the engine options on the new generation Megane and is likely to include the existing petrol and diesel engines with manual and automatic transmission options.
So the Renault Megane will be competing with the Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class, Infiniti Q30, BMW 1-Series and a host of other premium hatchbacks in the segment. However, if you the regular versions aren’t up to your tastes and the GT still feels underpowered, rumour has it that the French manufacturer is silently working on the Megane RS that could make it to production by 2017. The true rival to the Ford Focus RS and Honda Civic Type-R, this baby will reportedly produce over 300 PS of power that will be channeled to the front wheels. How does that sound to you?
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