Watch out Volkswagen! This is the car that Renault bosses are promising will end the Golf GTI’s dominance of the competitive hot hatch market.
Meet the high-performance Mégane Coupé, which despite the name will have a three-door hatch bodystyle. Insiders have reported is to be badged R28.
Auto Express has already published barely disguised images of the car, but this is the first time our spies have spotted any version of it out on the road.
The successor to the Mégane R26 is likely to be fitted with a 225bhp evolution of that model’s turbocharged 2.0-litre engine.
It sits on the same platform as the current Nissan Qashqai, so the appearance of an all-wheel-drive model is a very real possibility. All previous high-performance Méganes have been front-wheel drive.
The new coupé is expected to hit the road early in 2009, when it’s set to cost from £20,000. And it’s already being heralded as the most driver-oriented car of its type ever built by Renault.
But the story of the new Mégane line-up is not all about pace. Space will be an equally important part of its appeal.
So, as well as the three-door coupé and five-door hatchback, there will be saloon, convertible and estate bodystyles.
A crossover model is under consideration, too. This will offer increased practicality in a body smaller than the next Scenic MPV’s. And the forthcoming people carrier has also been snapped by our spies. The Scenic is due to be unveiled at October’s Paris Motor Show, before appearing on dealer forecourts early next year.
In our picture, it is wearing only the lightest of disguises, so its styling is clear to see. The car takes cues from the next Mégane, and its shape is sharper and more aggressive than that of the current Scenic. But engineers have ensured this doesn’t come at the expense of practicality, and it will continue to be one of the most flexible MPVs around.
From launch, two versions of the new Scenic will be available: a standard mid-size five-seater and a Grand Scenic, complete with an extended wheelbase and seven seats. Both will focus on maximising interior space, and come with an array of storage cubbyholes, while the rear seats will fold to give an enormous, flat load bay.
Standard equipment will be generous, with keyless start and automatic windscreen wipers and headlamps, while prices are set to start at around £15,000.
