In a video celebrating the milestone of one million fans on its Facebook page, Renault Sport, the performance arm of French automaker Renault, teased its upcoming Mégane RS and confirmed the debut for 2017.
The Mégane is Renault’s rival to the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, with the Mégane RS targeted at the rival cars’ respective Focus RS and Golf R models. The new Mégane RS will maintain the front-wheel-drive configuration of its predecessor, though, so its ultimate rival is really the Honda Civic Type R.
Apart from the confirmation the car is coming this year, the teaser doesn’t reveal much. We do see the checkered flag pattern for the LED fog lights that’s becoming a signature feature of Renault’s RS cars. The video also highlights the car’s lineage with some past performance models from Renault.
2018 Renault Mégane RS test mule spy shots – Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
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Unlike its three-door predecessor, the new Mégane RS will feature a larger, more practical five-door body. Judging by a test mule spotted last year, the new car will maintain center-mounted exhaust pipes.
Power will once again come from a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4, perhaps with more than 300 horsepower. The outgoing model in its most extreme Mégane RS 275 Trophy R guise came with 275 hp. As mentioned, there won’t be an all-wheel-drive system. However, to further aid the handling, the car will be fitted with four-wheel steering. It will also offer a dual-clutch transmission as an alternative to the standard manual.
Renault hasn’t released a specific date for the debut but either the Goodwood Festival of Speed in late June or the Frankfurt auto show in mid-September is highly likely.
