Renault Megane 2016 News

Fourth-generation Renault Megane goes on sale with prices starting at $22,490.

Has the heat gone out of the new-car market? That's the question being asked after July sales dipped. We're still on track for a record year but there were more losers than winners last month.

The new year promises plenty of fresh metal in showrooms. We look at 10 key arrivals.If you've resolved to buy a new car in 2016, these are the standout models among 50 new vehicles already confirmed to arrive in showrooms this year.Small hatches and SUVs dominate the list, reflecting our continued obsession with compact and high-riding cars respectively. The intense competition in Australia means we're spoiled for choice and carmakers are reacting by lifting interior quality and features to lure buyers with more than just a price tag.Truth be told, we're also becoming automotive snobs, as evidenced by the ever-rising proportion of top-spec models being sold and the growth of prestige brands outpacing mainstream marques. The good news is these cars are more likely to have standard active safety features … and the quicker new car buyers adopt the technology the sooner it will flow down into the secondhand market.In no particular order, here is CarsGuide's top 10 list of key contenders in 2016.Ditching the thirsty V6 was a given for the upgraded seven-seat SUV but many wondered if Mazda would do a diesel version. The new 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine renders the question moot by delivering diesel-like fuel economy and torque with the responsiveness of a petrol engine. Throttle response has been softened to smooth out short stop-start hops in peak-hour traffic and the steering ratio has been eased so the CX-9 now isn't quite as quick to turn the front wheels, both traits buyers of the big SUV should approve of. CarsGuide guestimates a price of around $42,000 when the Mazda arrives mid-year.There's no little irony in the fact a lower, stiffer body will make the new Prius handle better than ever before … and be no quicker because the people who buy Priuses value fuel economy above all else. As a result power from the 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor has been substantially trimmed in search of better fuel numbers, rumoured to be as good as 3.2 litres/100km. We'll still make do with nickel metal hydride batteries, though, while US and Euro buyers will get lithium-ion packs. Interior upgrades extend from gloss white highlights throughout the cabin to an instrument cluster that has been shifted to the centre of the dash and angled towards the driver. Expect prices to start around $35,000 when it arrives in February.It is a case of evolution rather than revolution for the new Elantra, despite a major overhaul inside and out. The car is longer and wider than the current model and adopts the corporate trapezoidal grille, yet the overall shape and panel creases are very similar. The engine is a carryover 2.0-litre four-cylinder and the interior quality has been lifted with classier materials. A reversing camera will be standard on all models in the range. Don't expect a dramatic jump in the existing $20,000 starting price when the new Elantra goes on sale early in the year.Quality plastics take on a new meaning with the Megane, which adopts plastic front guards and a tailgate to help cut weight. Renault has focused on improved quality to help the Megane stand out in the congested small car pack and top-spec versions will use an 8.7-inch touchscreen. Engine choices will include turbocharged 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrols and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel. The 1.6 will be reserved for the GT model, which bridges the performance gap between the regular cars and the sporty RS specials. Prices are expected to start close to the existing model's $21,000 mark when the new range arrives in September or October.More boot space in the second-generation Tiguan addresses one of the main criticisms of the first model and should improve the car's prospects with small families. The small SUV is wider, longer and lighter than its predecessor. The expected equipment upgrades include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping assist. Expect to see the VW Group's 12.3-inch digital driver's display — first used in the Audi TT — on top-spec models. Touchscreen sizes range from five to eight inches. Due late this year, the Tiguan should start at $30,000 for the entry model.Expect to see more attention to styling and interior detail when the new Impreza arrives as the first model to use Subaru's modular platform. The concept car shown in Tokyo in October points to a more style-driven look intended to complement Subaru's safety reputation. The concept is shorter and wider than the current production car meaning the new model should have significantly better shoulder room without losing too much boot space. The engine is expected to be a revised version of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit. Subaru hopes to have the Impreza in by late 2016 and it should come with a low-$20,000 tag. The brand will also launch the Levorg, a high-performance wagon that should whet the appetites of those who remember the 2003 Liberty GT. It will arrive mid-year with a price just north of $40,000.The fourth generation of Kia's popular mid-sized SUV has grown by 40mm and has a much more dramatic front end, highlighted by the four ice-cube styled daytime running lights sitting high at each corner. It shares its chassis with the Hyundai Tucson and overseas reports indicate that's no bad thing. The interior is typically austere but loaded with soft plastics in all the places occupants are likely to touch and an eight-inch touchscreen sits in the centre of the dash on top-spec models. The Sportage is due next month with prices predicted to start around $28,000.When a car is replaced three years after launch, there isn't much doubt it didn't do the job. The good news is the 10th-generation model looks and reportedly drives better than its predecessor. This car is a big deal for Honda and potentially for buyers as it will debut the company's first turbocharged engine, paired with a chassis Honda says is 25 per cent stiffer. Base models are expected to continue with the naturally aspirated 1.8-litre engine. The Civic was a staple of the small car sales mix and the Australian arm will be desperate to recover some of the lost ground. Expect prices to start shy of $20,000 before on-road costs when the Civic arrives mid-year.A UK-sourced five-door Astra will give Holden the ammunition to take aim at class leaders like the Mazda3. The top-spec cars are fitted with high-tech features including autonomous emergency braking, auto-dimming high-beam headlights and a massage seat for the driver. The turbocharged 1.6-litre engine proved the pick of the engines tested at its international launch and is already doing duty in the three-door Astra on sale here. Transmissions will be six-speed manuals and autos. Australians bought 235,000 European-built Astras from 1996-2009 and Holden needs this model to emulate that success. Prices are expected to start around $22,000 when the Astra goes on sale late this year.The cult-following for the go-fast Focus is likely to become mainstream mania when the new model arrives. Power from the 2.3-litre turbo engine exceeds that of the Golf R and WRX STi, making this one of the bang for your buck specials of the year. To tame the 257kW/440Nm Ford has switched from front-wheel to all-wheel drive. It is also the first time the RS will be sold as a regular production model rather than a limited edition special. Software-based party tricks include torque vectoring (where power is shifted to the wheels with the most grip through corners) and a "drift mode". The speedy Ford hatch is due mid-year starting at $50,990.

Away from the concept cars and other flights of fancy in Frankfurt, there was plenty of new metal that we will see in Australia soon.

Renault COO confirms the next Megane RS will not be a three-door coupe, but Australia is leading the charge for a manual transmission.

New Renault Megane breaks cover ahead of Frankfurt.

The traditional station wagon has been one casualty among many of the rise of SUVs, but they remain popular in Europe so German and French brands spin them off hatchbacks and sedans across their line-ups. Demand here is tiny, but local distributors are usually obliged to bring them in. They are then faced with the problem of how to sell them. I've lost count of how many times I've heard someone explain that their new wagon will lure people away from SUVs because it drives better, is cheaper to run and more practical. It's usually true, but it doesn't make a difference. The latest to ply this line is Renault, which has added a wagon variant to its Megane range as part of a mid-life freshen up. The wagon is substantially longer - 25cm - than the hatchback and has 40 per cent more cargo space. It starts at $26,490 with a 103kW 2-litre petrol or another $4000 for the most accessible diesel, an 81kW 1.5-litre. Its star turn, however, is the GT220 performance model, with a retuned version of the turbocharged engine in the RS265 hatchback. The RS265 holds the record for the fastest lap of Germany's Nurburgring racetrack for a front-wheel-drive car and is a benchmark among performance hatches. The wagon, with 162kW, gets 33kW less power from the same turbocharged 2-litre unit, but its sports chassis means it's still a hoot to drive and one of the few performance wagons on offer at this level. Available only with a six-speed manual, it costs $36,990, or another $5000 for the Premium version, which adds leather, satnav and a reversing camera. It won't revive Megane sales on its own - supply has been limited to 220 examples - but Renault says a shift in sourcing for the model from Turkey to Spain is responsible for a 7 per cent dip in demand for the Megane and supplies are now back on track. The revised line-up lowers the entry point to $20,990 plus on-road costs, from $25,990 driveaway, for a base manual petrol and introduces an additional trim level called GT Line to widen its appeal. The starting point for the convertible Megane CC drops $9000 to $36,990. Engines and transmissions carry over and, aside from minor styling changes such as LED lights at the front, the revisions focus on retuning the suspension and making more safety kit available, including an intelligent light system. Supplies are now likely to be the least of its worries, with Renault suffering more than most from the prolonged European downturn. First half sales results out this week show Renault sales down 10.3 per cent in western Europe compared with 6.6 per cent for the overall market. Chief executive Carlos Ghosn said recently that Europe might not recover for another two years. Renault might find some consolation in the figures for compatriot brands Peugeot and Citroen, because they are worse - down 11.7 per cent and 16.2 per cent respectively. It's a situation mirrored in Australia, where Citroen demand is down 34 per cent and Peugeot is treading water with a 1.5 per cent increase over the first half of last year. By comparison, Renault is up 44 per cent and on track to outsell Peugeot here for the first time - the importer believes - since the 1970s.  

In addition, the mainstream family Megane will be headlined by a turbo-powered GT model that bridges gap to the hotrod RS turbo models that have become the French brand's signature in Australia.The GT 220 lands in June and will be followed by ‘regular’ wagons less than a month later. Pricing is from $36,990 and the cooking cars will have stickers starting below $30,000 with a choice of a 2.0-litre petrol engine with CVT transmission or a 1.5-litre diesel with a dual-clutch manumatic.After a very short preview drive of the GT 220 in France, and just a couple of twisting corners, it's obvious that the car will suit people who like to drive. It's nowhere near as extreme as the RS 265, which will be good news for youngsters in the back, but it is plenty quick enough for family hauling.It also looks good, is well equipped and easy to handle in all conditions. The basics of the Megane wagon, before the GT 220 upgrade, also point to a reasonable future with families who have been starved of anything but SUVs in the compact class.It's not the most modern car in the class, or the sharpest on price, but it is going a different way as Renault also readies its all-new Captur SUV for Australia next year.The real shortcoming is that it only comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, not even a paddle-shift manumatic. So it's for old-school drivers, as I learn when switching out of a sharp-edged Clio RS."We believe the wagon is a different proposition for consumers. It's a good looking car and sits nicely in the range," says Renault spokesperson, Emilie Ambrosy."We also have an SUV with the Koleos but the wagon suits different people." The GT 220 is developed by RenaultSport, but is not as extreme as the full-on RS cars despite a turbocharged engine that makes 162 kiloWatts with 340 Newton-metres of torque.The best way to highlight the difference is the 0-100km/h time, which rises from 6.0 seconds in the RS 265 hatch to 7.6 seconds in the GT wagon."It is the link between RenaultSport and the normal cars. But it is seen as a RenaultSport car and there are plaques in the cars with a build number," says Ambrosy.But why is the GT 220 coming as a wagon and not a hatch?"We're doing it because we see an opportunity for this vehicle. We've had a tremendous success with the RS 265 but there are people who want the practicality of five doors."And the RS is an extreme car. This is a chance to grow the portfolio."The GT 220 is slugged as a limited-edition car - with 18-inch alloys - but it is also the first Renault for Australia with stop-start technology, helping trim fuel use to 7.3 litres/100km from 8.3 for the RS."We will get a couple of hundred cars. The base model will be $36,990 with no options, then there will be a premium pack for $5000, which puts the car at $41,990, with leather seats, satellite navigation with reversing camera, front parking sensors, panoramic sunroof and a system that Renault calls Visio with lane departure warning, bi-Xenon lamps and automatic dimming of the high beam," says Ambrosy.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

Meet the Megane Coupe Cabriolet concept, the standout star of the Geneva Motor Show stacked with designer fantasies and production test beds.“This show car emphatically showcases the evolution of Renault design,” says Renault's Patrick Le Quemont. “Its squatter proportions and powerful, energetic styling talk directly to the driver's senses. The spectacular door-opening kinematics add that little touch of magic.”Those doors, which open upwards in two stages - first the glass swings up followed by the metal bottom section - are the standout feature but are unlikely to carry through to the expected appearance of the production Megane Coupe at the Paris Motor Show in September. Renault is not about to confirm any features of future models but does concede the Megane Concept is a taste of a later compact production coupe.Inside, the concept has been styled with a funky future theme featuring ultra-thin seating, acres of red plastic, brushed aluminium and leather with a full suite of electronic gadgetry, including full Bluetooth connectivity, rear-vision cameras and a locking system operated by a mobile phone. The concept rides on 21in wheels, has Brembo brakes and is powered by a conventional 147kW, two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with drive through a six-speed automatic box. One element of the exterior design likely to make production is the front-end treatment.Meanwhile, Hyundai continues its journey to mainstream innovator with the HED-5 i-Mode minivan concept - a six-seat vision of future urban transport.The i-Mode concept on display in Geneva showcased advanced materials and construction with an interior inspired by natural forms and landscapes. The seating is a unique swivel technology from automotive seating specialists Keiper. Powered by a 2.2-litre diesel with sequential turbochargers with 158kW of power and 450Nm of torque, the concept appears to be built off a modified i30 platform. Hyundai's sister company Kia rolled out three versions of its Soul concept, first shown two years ago in Detroit, but this time the boxy hatch is close to production.As the Soul Diva, the Soul Burner and the Soul Searcher, the three concepts are exterior studies of the same vehicle but, judging from the lack of out-there gadgetry in the interior - and ignoring the fanciful interior trim and colour treatments - the model is very close to a production future.Honda moved another step closer to its promised hybrid vehicle to sit side-by-side with Civic by the end of next year, unveiling the stylish CR-Z concept. A three-door hatch with attitude to burn, the CR-Z has already been anointed by Honda as a hybrid sports car of the future.The CR-Z's sleek look is highlighted by minimalist LED headlights and driving lights, nose-down stance and truncated tail with upright rear glass.