Renault confirms small sedan

Renault has confirmed it has developed a new-generation sedan to sell alongside the Megane hatch in the small-car segment, replacing the defunct Fluence.

And Renault Australia is keen to add the car to its line-up as it strives to grow its sales in the popular segment, as well its overall presence in Australia.

The new fourth-generation Megane hatchback will go on sale with higher pricetags in Australia around September/October 2016.

You can read our first drive impression of the new Renaultsport-tuned Megane GT from the global launch in Portugal here.

A wagon has been previously confirmed as a continuing part of the Megane line-up and will break cover in the next six months before going on sale in Australia in 2017.

But the three-door and convertible Megane body styles have both been confirmed as axed from this generation.

The sedan has not previously been confirmed.

“A sedan will come also in the coming year,” Megane hatch chief engineer Fabrice Garcia told motoring.com.au in Portugal this week.

That in turn means the sedan could be on sale in Australia as early as 2017.

However, Garcia would not confirm a Megane badge for the new sedan. Nor if it would use the same CMF (Common Module Family) architecture and drivetrains as the new hatch, as likely as that is.

“I can’t confirm or comment,” he said. “It is too soon.”

He did hint that the more aggressive and sporting styling introduced into the latest generation of Renault vehicles by design chief Laurens Van Den Acker would continue in the new sedan.

“The dynamic and emotional design is a huge movement in the Renault range,” he said. “Each model is more dynamic and at the same time more emotional.”

Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar told motoring.com.au a small sedan would be an important addition to the company’s expanding Australian line-up.

“If that (a sedan) came on the program we would certainly look at that,” he said. “That C-segment sedan market is not growing and even has had a little bit of decline, but is still a big segment and still viable.

“If that is a product that was confirmed then we would have serious look at it.”

Hocevar said reverting to the name Megane from Fluence would also be helpful for Australian sales recognition.

“If they press go on the product we would have our hand up in a flash,” he said.

“And the beauty of that from our point of view is it is extremely difficult to communicate two separate nameplates on vehicles that are virtually the same.

“But to have one nameplate is a much easier job and much more efficient.”

The new Megane is one of two crucial new vehicles Renault Australia will launch in 2016, with the second-generation Koleos also set to make it here in the second half of the year.

The company will sell around 11,500 vehicles in 2015, representing a record for the French brand since its return to Australia in 2001.

The various Megane body styles will account for around 2000 of those sales. In past years the Megane has represented up to 50 per cent of local Renault sales.

The Fluence was the third-generation Megane’s sedan equivalent and was on sale here from 2010 to 2014. Its best year was 2011 when it recorded 593 sales.