2020 Renault Megane review: RS Cup car

Sports Renaults are legendary. From the Clio Williams onwards (not that we got this car here), the RS-badged Clios and Meganes have been the thinking people's choice for hot hatches. Preferably bright yellow or orange.

The third-generation Megane RS landed just over a year ago in Australia, and for the first time, you could opt for a two-pedal version. Things like this upset the Clio team five years ago and pissed them off so much that a lot more people bought the Clio RS. Although it could have been a five-door body, which also drove people crazy to buy a car. Seems counterintuitive, doesn't it?

Counterintuitively speaking, you couldn't get a stiffer Cup chassis with the new track-friendly dual-clutch transmission available, until… well, now. 

Renault Megane 2020: Rs CUP
Safety Rating	-
engine's type	1.8 L turbo
fuel type	Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	7.4l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$37,300

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 8/10

Hot hatch pricing is an art I'll never understand and that's my way of saying $51,990 for this car is bananas. Well, that would be it, but to get the banana color, Renault has the audacity to sting you for another $1000 (but it's a great color and the paint is great).

This hot hatch costs $51,990.

However, you get a lot for your money - 19-inch alloy wheels, 10-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, reversing camera, front, rear and side parking sensors, active cruise control, satellite navigation. , auto LED headlights, auto wipers and a tire repair kit instead of a spare wheel.

You will get automatic LED headlights.

Cup chassis means black wheels, lighter two-piece brake discs and a heavier but very important Torsen limited slip differential between the front wheels. Just $1500 more than the stock chassis. It's pretty good. The price suddenly looks less banana-like, and when you consider the fact that it has four-wheel steering, it actually looks pretty good.

Sometime last year, Renault (or Apple) fixed something that really annoyed me in the portrait mode of the screen. Well, one of the things is because it's still round the wrong way. One of the side effects of this is that CarPlay was left in the middle of the screen. It now fills the display and makes it more pleasing to the eye and much easier to use. It also reminds you of the slightly amateur graphics of the rest of the setup, aside from the RS telemetry.

So, I said the prices were bananas, and on the face of it, they are - you can get a shiny i30 N for $39,990. But when you pack all the tricks, it's not that bad at all. In addition to the price of paint. Yuch.

Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10

This Megane has soaked into the general car population well. Like its French compatriot the 308, this generation of Megane has fewer crazy frills and all the better.

This generation, the Megane has fewer crazy colorways and all the better.

The Megane RS has a few tricks up its sleeve - we already know about 19-inch wheels, but due to various underbody changes (wider track and thicker wheels) compared to the standard car, the front and rear protection is pleasantly inflated. (plastic facades, Megane chip for parties). The headlights form a huge pair of LED brackets when the high beams are on, which is an effect I really like, and the taillights are a little Porsche-esque. I really like the design and it works really well in both yellow and orange hero colors.

The Megane RS has a few tricks, including 19-inch wheels.

The interior quickly becomes obsolete, which is a pity. That's partly because of the silly screen orientation, but also because it wasn't all that attractive to begin with - lots of plastic, dark and not very French. This means it's less intimidating to the casual observer, but no one in Australia buys a Megane without much intent. The fake carbon trim pieces lift things up a bit, as does the leather-wrapped steering wheel with a red RS logo and a red marker showing where the top of the wheel is.

How practical is the interior space? 7/10

The new Megane's extra two doors mean the rear seat is better, but alas, it's still cramped if you're not a kid. Overhead is fine, but as always there is quite a bit of legroom and legroom, but still no worse than, say, a Mazda3.

Overhead is fine, but as always there is quite a bit of legroom and legroom.

The front seats are impressive without being too cramped, and they look good too.

The front seats are impressive.

The trunk starts at a very respectable 434 liters and expands to 1247 with the rear seats folded down, which is a handy chunk of space. It's also not very French to have cup holders in both rows. Each door also contains a bottle holder. A rarity in this class (and even some larger SUVs) is the addition of rear vents. Cool move.

Trunk space starts at a very respectable 434 liters and increases to 1247 with the rear seats folded down.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 8/10

Fans of the genre know that engines continue to get smaller, with turbo technology replacing high power with lower rpm torque. The Clio RS turbo has all the right numbers, except for the red line, which always seems too low.

The 1.8-liter Megane RS engine develops 205 kW and 390 Nm. The EDC gearbox is Renault's six-speed gearbox, which I long believed to be superior to just about any other dual-clutch gearbox (VW Group's seven-speed gearbox is finally on the blueprint). As always, power is sent only to the front wheels, but in the case of the Cup, this is done via a self-locking differential.

The 1.8-liter Megane RS engine develops 205 kW and 390 Nm.

The test sprint to 100 km/h is completed in 5.8 seconds, which is not a lot, and there is a launch control function that does not require half an hour of setup to activate. 

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How much fuel does it consume? 7/10

Renault's sticker says you'll get 7.5L/100km from the 1.8, but I think the usual sports car caveat applies - big chance. Having said that, a week of enthusiastic driving (me) and quite enthusiastic (my wife) driving, plus a long highway run gave me a figure of 9.9L/100km, which is not bad at all when you've got that kind of power on tap.

Whatever you buy, you will often fill up 98 - the fuel tank is only 50 liters.

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 8/10

The Megane arrives from France with six airbags, stability and traction control systems, a reversing camera, front AEB, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring.

You can install child seats using three top cable anchors or two ISOFIX points.

ANCAP has not yet tested the Megane, but EuroNCAP has given it five stars.

ANCAP has not yet tested the Megane, but EuroNCAP has given it five stars.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

5 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 7/10

In May 2019, Renault announced a five-year unlimited mileage warranty on the Megane RS to match the rest of the range, as well as roadside assistance. Let's hope the upcoming Clio takes over that as well.

At the same time, the service interval is 12 months / 20,000 799 km. Unfortunately for Cup EDC buyers, the first service, which is part of a three-year limited-price deal, costs $399 like VW, with the next two dropping to $XNUMX. 

What is it like to drive? 9/10

I first drove the cup version of this generation last year as a manual transmission. That was good. Fine. But I also drove a stock car with EDC and realized a couple of things. While the previous car's manual transmission (the only transmission) wasn't great, the rest of the experience more than made up for it. But the cast is a bit long and the action borders on non-cooperation - give me a smooth Civic Type R change any day. 

Now that a very advanced EDC is available, I realized that the Cup could be a better car - despite the 23kg weight reduction - with the EDC. 

In Race mode, ultra-fast gear shifts soften the impact of the low redline.

Time answered the question in the affirmative. While the management isn't bad enough to make it the "wrong" choice, EDC is the better choice. In Race mode, ultra-fast gear shifts soften the impact of the low redline. In the RS, the gears are a little closer together, so the gaps are tight and you can really work with the gearbox. The fine aluminum switches are pleasant to the touch and the whole thing is really very nice. Combined with the proper limited slip differential, you can turn on the power very early and brake much later than in a standard car.

The suspension on the Cup is stiffer, but it's not the same as the Clio Cup - I find this car too stiff for regular use, but the Megane feels a bit friendlier. Like its little brother, the Megane's suspension is equipped with hydraulic bumpers, which means that instead of thumping when the suspension runs out of travel, you'll get a softer landing. It helps smooth out the edges of an extremely sporty car and makes it livable for everyone else. Surprisingly, it does all of this with a torsion beam rear rather than a heavier, more expensive multi-link setup.

Riding through twisty sections in this car is a real delight. With just two pedals, you can brake with your left foot if you're feeling racy and have an absolute blast. Front tire grip (245/35s, by the way) is colossal, but the first turn with agility and vigor will shock you—with all-wheel steering, this thing turns corners like lawyers drive ambulances. . In Race mode, the rear wheels move against the front wheels at speeds up to 100 km/h, and you can feel the car spin very clearly. It also makes three-point turns very easy.

The big Brembo brakes are amazing, and if you keep the engine revs above 3000rpm (which is easy to do), you'll cover the ground at knot speeds that let its more powerful rivals be pretty fair.

Verdict

The addition of a car version of the Megane RS Cup won't suddenly sell a huge amount of cars, but it will certainly attract a few players who want or need a car. The point is, you get more than you lose when you opt for EDC, including lightning fast shifts that give you more brain power to really enjoy how the car changes direction and how well it responds to throws.

In everyday use, it's extremely nimble, cute, and even comfortable when you're not in the back seat.