Renault Megane R.S. (2018 – 2021) Review

The latest Renault Megane R.S. has refocused its talents compared to its immediate predecessor. Where the older Megane hot hatch revelled in being perhaps the most hardcore if its type, the current car is a more rounded offering. For starters, it only comes as a five-door hatch to make it more practical and there’s an entry-point 280PS model that’s quick without being harsh or only really suitable for tracks days. Of course, there’s the more potent 300PS Trophy for those who want a rawer experience, but even this is still not as in-yer-face as a Honda Civic Type R.

The Megane Renaultsport's mantle has slipped over the years with no shortage of competition from the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus RS.

So Renault is hoping this latest Megane R.S. will put the performance version of its family hatch firmly back on the radar of buyers who have been swayed by rival makes.

With that in mind, Renault has upped the ante by giving this Megane R.S. a new engine, more tech and improved performance, but all in a versatile package that's a comfortable every day car. 

So now the Megane R.S. is a five-door only and retains the same practicality as the standard Megane hatch - a car we really like. But there are some big changes under the skin. For starters, there's a new engine. This 1.8-litre turbocharged unit has 280PS while the Trophy version boosts this to 300PS.

Renault has also fitted 4Control - an intriguing new four-wheel steer system designed to increase agility in tight corners and better stability at higher speeds. As before there's the standard Cup chassis or the more hardcore Cup chassis which is 10 per cent stiffer.

It seems Renault has learnt its lesson from the automatic-only Clio R.S and offers the Megane R.S. with a standard manual - and a very good one at that - alongside an EDC automatic as an option. For our money, we'd always go for the more involving manual.  

In standard Cup trim, the Megane is still pretty firm as you'd expect of a hot hatch - but far more comfortable than you'd image. Much of that is down to a new suspension system which essentially creates what Renault describes as a 'shock absorber within the shock absorber' keeping the tyre in contact with the road for longer for better comfort.

Of course, most people will go for the R.S. Trophy model which has much stiffer (although not lower) suspension and as a result a ride that's even firmer than a Hyundai i30N or a Civic Type R. However, it does have more spec and a limited slip differential for better traction.

Both versions handle superbly well as you'd expect and there's a lot to be said for the standard 280PS model which we think offers more than enough everyday performance. The steering is responsive and has lots of feel, while the R.S. certainly sounds the part with a lovely deep burble from the exhaust. 

The Megane R.S is certainly back with a bang, making this one of the best hot hatches on the market. Would we choose it over the Focus RS? Not quite, but it has lots of appeal nonetheless and is a car guaranteed always to put a smile on your face.

The 4Control four-wheel steer system may sound a bit like a gimmick, but it makes a difference in the Megane R.S. It allows the rear wheels to turn slightly to help with turning at low speed and stability at a faster rate. The Megane feels eager in corners, but at higher speeds it can take a little getting used to with smaller steering inputs than you'd expect.

There are two chassis options available: standard or optional Cup, which come as standard on the Trophy model.

The Cup is 10 per cent stiffer and has a mechanical limited slip differential, improving traction out of slow corners and we’d recommend choosing it for this reason alone. One issue with the Cup chassis is that the front wheels tend to follow ruts in the roads under hard acceleration.

The Renault Megane R.S. has a turbocharged 1.8-litre engine creating 280PS in standard form. Go for the Trophy and this is upped to 300PS. On paper, the Trophy will do 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds, regardless of whether it's a manual or an EDC automatic, putting it on par with its main hot hatch competition.

The standard Megane R.S never feels as ferocious as the Civic Type R when accelerating. The Trophy does a better job here and also sounds better thanks to a valve in the exhaust which results in pops and crackles when you come off the power.

The Megane R.S. doesn’t come with autonomous emergency braking as standard. Instead, it’s part of a £400 Safety Pack Premium that also includes Adaptive Cruise Control.

A Parking Pack Premium comes with automated parking assistance and Blind Spot Warning for £500. The Visio System that costs £250 provides Lane Departure Warning and Traffic Sign Recognition, while a rear parking camera is £400.

You do get twin front, side and curtain airbags, ESP traction and stability control, rear parking sensors, and the 4Control four-wheel steering set-up. The R.S. 280 comes with cruise control including a speed limiter, but the Trophy foregoes this.

As with the standard Megane, the cabin is robust and solid, and crucially a huge step forward from the old model, but there's not much to grab your attention.

Being a hot hatch, the Megane gets the fundamentals right. The driving position is spot-on, there's lots of adjustment in the seats and it's a car you can set up for every day driving or for something a bit more 'let’s go quickly round some corners' if the need takes you. Elsewhere, it's odd the Megane R.S. has an old-school handbrake when the standard Megane gets an electric parking brake.

The Renault can accommodate three people in the back thanks to a broad bench, but headroom is tight. In the boot, you get 384-litres, which is bigger than a Ford Focus’.

If there was a single area where previous generations of Renault Megane R.S. fell down, it was the quality of their cabins. That issue has been soundly addressed in this current Renaultsport model with a dash that has solidly hewn build standards and soft-touch materials to give a more premium appeal.

 Renault has got the fundamentals right and the Megane’s cabin has no rattles or vibrations that could be detected too easily in the previous generation. Instead, there’s a robust feel to the cabin that bodes well for surviving life as a family car, which many hot hatches have to.

Dominating the dash of the Renault Megane R.S. is a big iPad-esque screen. Vibrant, pretty, customisable and, most importantly, intuitive to use, it’s a world away from the dreadful touchscreen nightmares of recent Renaults past. That said, it's still not as slick as the system you'll find in a Golf R, although is at least better than the terrible Civic Type R infotainment.

It’s also disappointing that in this flagship Megane and Renault hot hatch, the French firm has not bothered to equip it as standard with the larger 8.7-inch screen. If you don’t tick the options box for that, you get the standard 7-inch version.

If you don’t want to pay the full whack up front, Renault offers its own Selections personal contract purchase deal and a hire purchase option. The PCP can be spread over a time between two and four years, while hire purchase is offered over any period from one year to four.

For a nearly new or pre-registered example of the R.S. Trophy, a manual car can be had for £31,000 and an auto for £32,000, which offer worthwhile savings over the original list prices. Any Megane R.S. bought through Renault’s approved used scheme comes with warranted history and mileages, a year’s roadside breakdown cover and used warranty, plus a 30-day exchange promise.

Look for a Renault Megane R.S. 280 at two-years old and with 12,000 miles to its credit and you will pay from £22,000 for a well looked after example with a manual gearbox. If you’d rather have the EDC Auto model, they are quite a lot rarer and will add £3500 to what you need to spend.

More buyers are interested in the R.S. 300 Trophy that arrived a little after the 280 version was launched. This means you’ll be looking at a price tag of around £27,000 for a one-year old 300 Trophy and the EDC Auto will tack a further £500 to the price tag for a year-old car with 8000 miles on the clock.

The most economical Megane R.S. is the 280 model with manual six-speed gearbox. It turns in combined consumption of 35.8mpg under WLTP testing conditions. Worst is the R.S. 300 Trophy with Auto EDC transmission at 33.6mpg.

There’s a clear division when it comes to insurance groups for the Renault Megane R.S. models. Choose the R.S. 280 and both the manual and EDC Auto models sit in the same group 35 when it comes to calculating your premium. If you want the more powerful R.S. 300 model with either gearbox, it resides in group 37, so you pay a little extra for its added potency and performance. With any of the Renaultsport models, they are notably lower down the insurance group scale than the Honda Civic Type R that sits squarely in group 40.

Whichever version of the Renault Megane R.S. takes your fancy, you will need to account for a first-year Vehicle Excise Duty payment of £870. That’s less than a Honda Civic Type R buyer will shell out but still a hefty amount to find on top of the price of the car. At least in subsequent years the Megane comes in at £150 per annum for its road tax levy.

In R.S. 280 for, the Renault Megane comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, 4C Control system and Multi-sense driving modes. You also get rear privacy glass, Carbon Black cloth upholstery, electric windows all-round, front sports seats, climate and cruise controls, and the 7-inch R-LINK2 infotainment touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Cup Chassis option brings firmer suspension settings and a limited slip differential. The Trophy models have this as standard and 19-inch alloys, but both benefit from the Alcantara Pack’s suede upholstery and heated front seats. A Recaro Sports Pack brings improved front seats. Metallic paint is £560, or £660 if you want either the Volcanic Orange or Liquid Yellow hues.

Other desirable options are the Safety Pack and Parking Premium Pack, while a rear parking camera is handy and costs £400.

For the R.S. 300 Trophy models, you get the Renault Sport Monitor, Alcantara-covered steering wheel, and bi-material brakes for better stopping power.