Renault Megane News

Without trying to sound macabre - which we are - here's some of the famous people no longer with us because of the car. On a brighter note, lots of people are still with us because of the car - or more specifically, the ambulance.1. James Dean (Porsche 550 Spyder): Dean's status soared to cult levels after his untimely death in September 1955. In fact, so did the status of the car he was driving, a Porsche 550 Spyder that was the predecessor to today's Boxster. Dean died while driving when an approaching car turned in front of him. His passenger, mechanic Rolf Wutherich, survived that accident but died in a car crash in 1981.2. Diana, Princess of Wales (Mercedes-Benz S280): On August 31, 1997, the world woke to the shocking news that Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car accident in Paris. Her partner Dodi and driver were also killed. The accident is alleged to have been caused when the Mercedes was avoiding pursuing paparazzi.3. Princess Grace Kelly (Rover SD1): The former American actress and princess of Monaco died in 1982 after suffering a mild stroke at the wheel of her car, causing it to roll down a mountain in Monaco. Coincidentally, revered British motorcycle racer Mike Hailwood (1940-1981) was killed in a car accident a year earlier driving a similar car.4. Marc Bolan (Mini GT): Bolan, lead singer of glam rock group T-Rex, was killed instantly in 1977 when the purple Austin Mini GT in which he was a passenger failed to negotiate a bridge and hit a tree. Ironically, Bolan never learned to drive, fearing his untimely death in a car. The driver was his girlfriend, Gloria Jones.5. Peter "Possum" Bourne (Subaru Forester): Amiable New Zealand rally driver Possum Bourne was on a course inspection in 2003 on the "Race to the Sky" track at Cardrona in NZ's South Island when he collided head on with a Jeep Cherokee. He never regained consciousness. A statue of Possum is set on the mountain on an isolated rock overlooking the Cardrona village.6. Jackson Pollack (Oldsmobile 88): The reclusive artist crashed his 1950 Oldsmobile convertible while under the influence of alcohol, killing both himself and his passenger instantly in 1956. Pollock was aged 44.7. Jayne Mansfield (Buick Electra): In the early hours of June 29, 1967, Hollywood sex symbol Jayne Mansfield, died after the 1966 Buick Electra 255 in which she was a passenger smashed under the back of a slowing semi-trailer. Mansfield, her boyfriend Sam Brody and the driver were killed instantly. Her three children including Mariska, all in the rear of the car, survived with minor injuries.8. Desmond Llewelyn (Renault Megane): In 1999, one of the UK's most recognisable figures; Desmond Llewelyn, better known as Q in the James Bond films, died in a car crash aged 85. He was driving home from a book signing when his car collided head on with a Fiat.9. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez (Mitsubishi SUV): In 2002, Lopez - singer with popular RnB group TLC - was thrown from the vehicle and died from injuries. The Mitsubishi was forced off the road by an oncoming truck that was trying to overtake a car on a Honduras road.10. George S. Patton (Cadillac Series 75): The famous United States general died from complications 12 days after a car accident near Mannheim, Germany. He was aged 60 years.

In other words, the likes of the ‘usual’ suspects – including the Volkswagen Golf R, Ford Focus RS and Mazda3 MPS.  Once it goes on sale, it could easily emerge as the frontrunner.  The RS 250 builds on the sporting prowess of the brilliant Renault Sport Megane RS 225, offering more power and a wealth of additional high-performance hardware.Peak power goes up from 165kW in the RS  225 to 184kW, while torque grows 40Nm to 340Nm in the RS 250. Zero to 100km/h is six seconds neat – almost 0.2 seconds faster than the RS 225.The RS 250 boasts a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels (with drive delivery reigned in by a limited-slip differential) via a six-speed manual transmission only. Top speed? Well into ‘But officer …’ territory, at about 250km/h.Borrowing heavily from the trend set by Audi and Mercedes-Benz (and latched onto instantly by HSV locally) the Megane RS 250 gets LED-based daytime running lights. There’s also a switchable ESP system with two operating modes: ‘street’ and ‘track’ with the latter setting allowing more leeway into the yaw domain before intervening.Styling? Monumentally in-your-face, typically French, and likely to polarize opinion into ‘beautiful’ and ‘ugly’ camps.  Regardless, nobody will ever think the Megane RS 250 is too subtle, matching voluptuous curves with contrasting black accents front and rear, black wing mirrors, red brake calipers and F1-style rear diffuser with integrated central exhaust.It’s unlikely you’ll forget the kind of car you’re in, once inside an RS 250. If you do, quick glances at the sports alloy pedals, sports-inspired steering wheel, high-restraint front buckets and dinnerplate-sized tacho with shift light (plus an audible warning) will probably remind you - often.

It wants to showcase the zero emission car here to remind consumers it has not been caught napping with new technology. It also believes a car like the Megane EV would work in well with neighbourhood "car share" rental schemes in use in Sydney and Melbourne. Managing director, Rudi Koenig, believes EV cars are perfect for these schemes, similar to the bicycle rental system in Paris where people can rent a bike for short trips around the city. Koenig believes that over the past 12 months, the electric car story has been dominated by Japanese and North America carmakers. He wants to grab back a slice of the action, reminding consumers that work on the Megane EV is well advanced. A version of the small sedan is expected to be on sale in the geographically smaller markets of Denmark and Israel next year. Renault says it will deliver similar performance to a petrol powered 1.6-litre Megane. The company expects the EV car to cost the same as a turbo-diesel, about $3000 more than a conventional petrol engine. The Megane EV is part of a collaboration between Renault-Nissan and venture company Better Place, which is also helping roll out EV infrastructure to several markets, including Australia. Initially this infrastructure is likely to be centred on Sydney and Melbourne. Better Place is working with AGL Energy and Macquarie Capital Group to develop a recharging grid for electric cars locally. Renault along with its alliance partner Nissan, has been at the forefront of the push for EV vehicles. The recently unveiled Renault bebop concept van and Nissan's EV-02 car share components. The bebop is powered by a 44kW electric motor that winds out to 12,000 revs and has a top speed of 130km/h. The concept's lithium-ion battery pack comes from a Nissan-NEC joint venture. Nissan says these batteries have 90 per cent better efficiency than a conventional petrol engine and are designed to deliver between 80 per cent and 100 per cent peak capacity for at least six years. Better Place is working with several battery manufacturers to develop new lithium-ion battery technology for a range of new Renault and Nissan vehicles expected to be on sale by 2012. Lithium-ion batteries store significantly more energy and generate twice the power per unit volume than nickel metal hydride batteries currently used in many hybrids. Renault is also working on a recycling program to make sure the new-generation batteries can be disposed of safely. The first mass-market electric cars are also likely to hit Australia by 2012. Mitsubishi Australia has already cleared the way to get its i-MIEV on our roads sometime next year, while minor players Blade Electric Vehicles already builds a $42,990 Hyundai Getz. GM-Holden is also pushing hard to get its hybrid ‘range-extender’ Volt on sale here by 2012. Toyota too will supplement its Prius hybrid next year with the locally build Camry hybrid and a plug-in Prius is also planned. One of the biggest issues facing EV cars is their short range and time it takes to recharge. Newer ‘fast-charge’ systems slash recharging times and the next-generation batteries are pushing the range beyond 150km between recharges.

That's because, if you want to establish some street credibility in the Australian market you need a halo car, preferably a coupe. So after eight years of battling to re-establish its local identity, Renault Australia finally has a car that could pitch the brand into the mainstream, the Megane coupe.The company's managing director, Rudi Koenig, this week confirmed that the coupe would join the line-up around June next year with a hatch and sedan to follow. Koenig believes the new-generation Megane has the potential to be a volume player. It wants to start with the coupe to establish some credibility and recognition, much like the impact the Koleos has had among buyers, he saysThe Megane will be pitched as a volume seller with keen pricing to attack the dominant Japanese players. "We will clearly be concentrating on these Japanese rivals," he says. That means pricing could start around $22,000 for an entry hatch, rising to VW Golf GTi territory for the performance-oriented coupe."Megane will be a car in both hatch and sedan form that will be very important for us," he says."The small car segment is vital and it's the segment that produces the highest volume selling cars. "We have to succeed in that segment."Renault could have introduced the European-built Megane sooner but it would have had a premium European price. "In that segment, let's face it, we are the weakest because our previous model's shape wasn't accepted in the market," Koenig says. "The new Megane has a mature, sporty shape that has global appeal."The coupe will be sourced from France. It has taken a long time to secure the new Megane because Koenig wanted the "international" version of the hatch and sedan, which will be built in both Turkey and South Korea."The basic design and DNA will be maintained but some features will be specific to Australia," he says.Renault Australia is now working out potential sourcing and has several options. It can import the hatch and sedan from Turkey or from its Renault-Samsung affiliate in South Korea."That will be decided before the end of this year," he says. "That's one of the pressing issues I will be discussing with Paris."The sedan and hatch may even end up coming from different plants and could have different names."That's to be sorted out," he says. "But we are determined to bring in a car that gives us a competitive edge, either in the vehicle itself or value proposition."The range-topping coupe arrives first, closely followed by a hatch and sedan by the end of 2010. In Europe the coupe is available with three petrol engines and three dCi turbo-diesel engines. Renault Australia is expected to go for one or two highly specified models.At the top-end the choices are a six-speed manual 134kW/300Nm 2.0-litre TCe petrol turbo or a 104kW/195Nm normally aspirated petrol four with CVT transmission, as well as a 96kW/300Nm 1.9-litre dCi with a six-speed manual.In Europe the even the entry model gets 16-inch alloys, air conditioning, electronic stability control with anti-skid regulation and understeer control, six airbags, electric heated body coloured door mirrors, cruise control and electric windows.

Despite a debut this month at the Paris motor show, with styling that finally ditches the dumpy J.Lo rump in favour of a chic new set of curves, the timing for a Down Under debut is not set and not certain for next year. Renault Australia says it is committed to the new Megane hatch and coupe, as well as the many other Megane-based models that will follow, but says it can't short-cut the French company's global roll-out plan. “We aim to be on sale in Australia within 12 months of the first sales in Europe,” says Renault Australia marketing chief Craig Smith. “Megane is rolled out in Europe in November, and it's a staged roll-out that goes for quite a while after that. “So the indicative timing here is late 2009 or early 2010 ... it's a case of being able to access the models we need.” Smith says Renault concentrates first on left-hand drive at home in France, gradually spreading the footprint from there. But he says the roll-out for the new Megane is also complicated by plans to build the cars in a number of factories. “The international models don't come on stream for a while,” he says. “Some will be manufactured in Europe and some will not. The difference is the cost base.” Renault's plan for Australia is still under discussion with head office and it is likely to be a mix-and-match process. “We'll take both models,” Smith says. “So the final line-up will have cars made in Europe and some made somewhere else.” However, just where else they might be made is not a certainty, according to Smith. “That is still to be confirmed,” he says. “The Koleos is made in Korea, we have factories in South America and eastern . There are all sorts of choices.” And what about the Megane line-up, which stretches to nine body styles in France? Smith says it probably won't be all nine models, but also won't be too far off that. The company will “definitely be looking at the RenaultSport models”. He has already seen the cars and is confident they could provide the final breakthrough for Renault Australia after more than five years of struggle and sluggish sales. “The cars are sensational,” Smith says. “From a local point of view we can't get the cars soon enough. They are everything we need. “It's a great looking car, the right size, and the right range of powertrains.” And despite the 12-month delay before the arrival of the new Megane, Smith says the Megane sedan will take Renault part of the way through next year, but he says there will be a gap between the two. Despite the delay, Smith says Renault Australia plans to be aggressive with their pricing, although he can't commit to a significant reduction from the current stickers, which run from $24,990 for the Megane sedan and $26,990 for the hatch. “We'll aim to be in the largest segment of the market pricing below where we are at the moment and with the same product.”  

That is the sad message from Renault Australia on the hottest hatch yet from the French maker, the R26.R. “All the cars are pre-sold. We won't even be able to get one to display at motor shows,” says Craig Smith of Renault Australia. Yet the Renaultsport R26.R is a serious happening for Renault, which has used the go-faster Meganes as a big showroom attraction. Two Renaultsport Meganes have been a limited-edition sellout in Australia and the company is just about to put a Renaultsport Clio into the local line-up. The R26.R is developed from the existing 230 F1 Team R26, named after the company's Formula One racer, and has a big track focus. The cabin has a full rollcage, racing seats and harnesses. There's more, from a carbon-fibre bonnet to polycarbonate windows to cut weight by 123kg for a significant performance boost using the regular R26 turbo motor. Side and curtain airbags, the sound system, airconditioning and heated rear window have been removed.  

New French cars are doing it tough Down Under.The top-secret prototypes were seen in Townsville this week as they completed a Down Under durability trial, part of a regular test program in Australia for all the French carmaker's new models.The cars were heavily disguised. All badges had been removed and false panels covered noses and tails, but they were the Laguna Coupe and the successor to the current Megane hatchback.The two-door Laguna is expected to break cover next month at the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix but the Megane will not be ready for showrooms until late next year.The delay on local deliveries will probably be 12 to 18 months for both cars.Renault Australia refused to confirm the identity of the cars, or even any involvement in a program with the Megane and Laguna Coupe, but their escort was a giveaway.They were pictured leaving a Townsville motel after an overnight stop with the latest Renault Koleos four-wheel drive, undisguised, carrying the support crew for the French engineering team.“We do not discuss future products,” Renault Australia spokesman Craig Smith says.But he admits Renault is using Australia to test its future models, for final certification and advanced engineering on hand-built prototypes.“Every product we bring out in Australia from now on will have an element of local testing,” he says. “The new Laguna did about 30,000km of testing in Australia before it was launched in Europe.”The five-door Laguna hatch will be in showrooms here in June, first with a diesel engine as the company's local flagship.It will be followed several months later by a petrol-engined model. The Laguna Estate wagon will go on sale in September.Testing of the Laguna Coupe is part of the car's durability certification, which includes hot-weather running and trials on rough-road conditions with cars built on the regular production line in the build-up to full capacity.The Megane will probably be an engineering prototype, hand-built and undergoing much more fundamental test work.The car is at least 12 months from its European debut, though it could break cover at the Paris Motor Show in October.Smith was more open about the Koleos, which Renault Australia will introduce to the Australian motoring press in Morocco next month.“The Koleos will be on sale here in September,” he says. “It will be available in petrol and diesel, starting at just over $30,000.”

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. 

Those tough 'real-world' conditions can quickly reveal a car's weaknesses and strengths, especially if you throw some suburban hills into the equation. So any car which returns less than 8 litres per 100km in city traffic grabs my attention, particularly with fuel prices again heading in the wrong direction. I'm not talking about a pint-size car or one with a small engine for which you would expect fuel consumption to be reasonable. What we are looking at is a mid-size, solidly built European import in Renault's Megane, except this one is a diesel. After a week of trips to the supermarket, the nursery, the hardware store and commuting to work, the typical duties expected of a family car; the Megane's onboard computer dipped to 7.5 litres per 100km. To put that in cash terms, it's less than $20 for a week's running. Throw in some country travel and the average fuel consumption level would be even better. Now, the Megane is not the most fuel-efficient car in the market but it gives a good indication of how affordable a diesel can be without having to sacrifice any luxuries, performance or handling. How much Petrol-engined Megane prices start at $24,990 after Renault shaved up to $3500 across the model range in April. The diesel arrived in August, with the base Expression priced from $27,990 (manual); the higher-spec diesel Privilege version costs $35,990 (auto only). That's value-for-money buying. What you get You may remember the corny TV ads from Renault showing an executive being chauffeured in the Megane. Then the suit made the driver stop so he could take over the wheel because driving the Megane is so much fun. Hmmmm. It isn't a limo, by a long stretch, but it does have some good prestige features. At the Privilege level you get leather upholstery, cruise control with a handy speed limiter, rear parking sensors, auto switch-on headlights, air conditioning and an average quality six-stack audio system and fog lamps. That's a better kit than some cars that cost substantially more. There's also a lot of clever user-friendly storage bins, which the Europeans are good at, as well as sun shades, which pull up from inside the rear doors and a glove box, which can be chilled from the air conditioning system. Another bit of clever design is the flap to the fuel inlet which incorporates the fuel cap . . . so you don't get your hands dirty. Flip the flap and the cap opens with the door. Neat. There are weird design features, such as a U-shaped handbrake lever which, although looking odd works well, especially if you don't have much strength in your wrist. This car comes with one of those flat, plastic keyless keys (think of an oversized credit card) that you slot into a hole in the dash and then push a starter button. It's all rather complicated when turning a conventional key does the same thing, although this plastic card will fit in your wallet or purse. Safety features Previous Meganes have a five-star rating and there is no reason this one won't be a star performer as well. There's plenty of standard fare with six air bags, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters plus rain-sensing wipers. Design The boot is enormous for a car this size. The styling is pleasant but not exactly head-turning and the cabin takes a little time to feel at home with, although it works a treat: there's plenty of leg and head room, good vision and the layout of controls, once you get to know where they are, works well. Under the bonnet Power comes from a 1.9-litre, four-cylinder direct turbo diesel. Power is a modest 96kW at 4000rpm, although a hefty 300Nm of torque makes up for it, peaking at 2000rpm; but there's a catch. You can take your pick from a six-speed manual or four-speed auto, which will be the popular choice. However, the auto box robs it of torque (down to 260Nm), so if you want the added performance of the manual you have to drop down to the Expression level of specification. The Privilege comes as an auto only in this country, which is a pity. Acceleration isn't brilliant but remember this is a diesel. Zero to 100km/h is a leisurely 9.1 seconds. On the road In a word, it's classy. Once you get used to the diesel's idiosyncrasies this mid-sized sedan provides quite a rewarding and surprisingly comfortable, stable drive but don't think of it as a sporty car. It isn't. It can be described as sprightly thanks to its oodles of torque from low down in the rev range. How thirsty An impressive 7.5L/100km, city driving. Renault's official figure is 6.8L/100km for the auto. Impressions Yes, the Megane is quirky; the French go about designing their cars like no one else; and yes, when I first got in I found it uninspiring with little in the way of “wow” factor. However, the Megane is a car that grows on you. It takes time to become familiar with its controls and the way it works. By the end of the week familiarity had taken over. I loved it.    

A Megane diesel sedan and the red-hot RenaultSport Megane R26 lead the way, and will be joined by a half-dozen other newcomers within a year.Diesel will be a big deal for Renault, but it is also looking closely at a return for the baby Clio and is banking on the success of a mid-sized four-wheel-drive.“Next year is the start of the Renault product revolution. We'll get our share of the new vehicles,” says Renault Australia managing director Rudi Koenig. “We're looking at in excess of 3000 cars. The plan is between 3000 and 3500, depending very much on how the sedan goes and the uptake of diesel.”Koenig already knows the R26 hot hatch will be a sellout, despite lifting the order from 30 to 80 cars for Australia. He is more concerned about the diesel Megane. He believes the car will be pivotal to the success of the sedan version, which has not polarised people in the same way as the “J.Lo” butt on the hatch.“Diesel is the critical vehicle for us. We hang our hat on the sedan, and the diesel gives us pretty well the lowest-priced diesel in the market,” Koenig says. “We've got to have a car that gives us consistent volume we can build the brand on. And we haven't had that.”But he denies the success or failure of the Megane diesel which will decide the future of Renault in Australia.“It's never make-or-break. Renault is very much committed to this market and we have a lot of product coming in the future. We're hoping for about 40 diesels a month. That would make it about 40 per cent of our Megane sedan volume, and the biggest individual Renault model.”And there is much more to come. Even if Renault Australia has ruled out the baby Twingo for Australia. Koenig says the Clio is looking good, there will be a revitalised flagship, and the production version of the Koleos concept vehicle.“Next year we will get the new Laguna in the second quarter, the Clio 3 RS version also, and we will get the SUV. The production version of the SUV, which is called Koleos as a concept, is going to be launched next month at the Frankfurt Show and we'll have it at the end of next year.“Clio 3 is a great car and we're studying the production situation very closely.”