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Bruce Newton16 Dec 2015
NEWS

Renault's next Megane RS to downsize

Current French hot hatch's tried and true turbo-petrol 2.0-litre can't hit economy and emissions targets

Renault hot tuner Renaultsport has given the clearest signal yet that the next-generation Megane RS will have a new engine.

Speaking to Australian journalists at this week’s global launch of the mainstream Megane range in Portugal, Renaultsport sales and communications director Regis Fricotte said the iconic hot hatch’s current F4RT 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine would not meet future fuel consumption and emissions targets.

However, Fricotte would not specify what would power the next-generation RS due in 2017, although he did not dismiss the chances of a higher powered version of the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol that currently powers the Clio RS and the new Megane GT.

The decision will be keenly anticipated and debated in Australia, which is one of Renaultsport’s best sales markets.

The new fourth-generation Megane small car goes on sale in Australia in September/October 2016, while the current Megane RS will continue production and sale throughout 2016.

In 2017 it will swap from a three-door to a five-door body and the new engine. It also could move from a manual transmission to a dual-clutch automatic, as per the latest Clio RS (which also went from three- to five-door).

“It (F4RT) is an engine now that is not suitable for further development in terms of consumption and in terms of C02 emissions,” said Fricotte.

“It was an engine that had not the capacity to go further on.”

The Megane RS was first launched with 225ps as part of the second-generation small car’s line-up in 2004. It has progressed through a series of incremental power hikes, now reaching 275ps (202kW).

There is widespread expectation Renaultsport has targeted the next RS to reach 300 horsepower (223kW), as we previously reported here.

“It will have an engine that will deliver the performance that we want,” said Fricotte.

At that level, the next RS would match the Volkswagen Golf R but fall well short of the bonkers 259kW Ford Focus RS.

But Fricotte insisted a power disadvantage at the brochure hasn’t affected the RS Megane’s overall performance ability.

“We have never had the car with the biggest engine or the most performing engine. When we were at 250 (PS) the previous Golf R was at 270 and the Ford RS at 305. We still had the (lap) record on the Nurburgring.”

There is precedent for Renault to downsize the RS from 2.0 to 1.6 litres, as fellow French brand Peugeot has recently opted for that engine size with its latest 308 GTI. It delivers up to 200kW.

So is that the plan for the next RS?

“You’ll find out,” Fricotte said.

There is also precedent for the RS to downsize provided by the second-generation of the Renaultsport-tuned Megane GT, which motoring.com.au sampled this week in Portugal.

The first-generation GT currently sold in Australia uses a detuned version of the F4RT engine. It was originally launched with 133kW but has only been offered in the higher specification 164kW/340Nm version in Australia.

But the move to the 1.6-litre engine has also resulted in a drop to 151kW and 280Nm, placing it well behind its most obvious competitor, the 162kW/350Nm Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Fricotte confirmed the engine change was made because of the F4RT’s fuel and emissions issues, but also because a change of character for the new GT.

“If you compare the previous GT and this one, it is a completely different kind of car,” Fricotte claimed. “The (old) car was fairly rough in terms of comfort. The very positive side of that car was acceleration and the oomph you could get out of it.

“But it was not comfortable on a daily basis. I think with this car we have got a much more rounded car.”

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