Photo: Renault
A decade ago, buying a hot hatch meant you had to visit your local VW, Ford, Vauxhall or Renault dealership. But a number of companies, including Kia and Hyundai, have begun offering cheaper versions with less power. Seeing the Koreans encoach on their territory, the French have declared war with three brand new GT models available as part of the Megane range.
They're not quite as powerful as the real Megane RS 275, but are cheaper to buy and easier to live with. Say hello to the GT 220, available as a Hatch, Coupé or Sport Tourer in Britain today.
The power for all three models comes from a 2-liter turbo making 220 hp, just like the old Megane RS. This is couple to a six-speed manual, 18-inch ‘Serdard’ alloy wheels with 225/40R18 Dunlop Sport Maxx TT and bigger 320mm disc brakes.
There's also a body kit offered, which is borrowed from the GT-line and includes revisions to the front and rear bumpers plus tinted lights.
Even though the output is the same, performance is nowhere near that of a Golf GTI. 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.6 seconds and the Megane GT 220 is capable of reaching a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h). Fuel consumption isn’t bad either, as the Mégane GT220 officially returns 38.7 mpg UK or 7.3 l/100km on the combined cycle. But the faster Golf is also more economical at 6.0 l/100km, which just goes to show how far hot hatch technology has come.
The Megane GT 220 hatch is priced from £23,245, the Coupe GT 220 costs £24,230 and the Sport Tourer GT 220 is £24,245. All get the same four-year warranty, automatic headlights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, Renault R-Link with navigation, Bluetooth, a reversing camera and an upgraded Arkamys 3D sound system.
Our say: What's the point of buying a 220 hp Megane if it's not faster than the avearge German premium diesel sedan, like a BMW 320d?
The power for all three models comes from a 2-liter turbo making 220 hp, just like the old Megane RS. This is couple to a six-speed manual, 18-inch ‘Serdard’ alloy wheels with 225/40R18 Dunlop Sport Maxx TT and bigger 320mm disc brakes.
There's also a body kit offered, which is borrowed from the GT-line and includes revisions to the front and rear bumpers plus tinted lights.
Even though the output is the same, performance is nowhere near that of a Golf GTI. 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.6 seconds and the Megane GT 220 is capable of reaching a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h). Fuel consumption isn’t bad either, as the Mégane GT220 officially returns 38.7 mpg UK or 7.3 l/100km on the combined cycle. But the faster Golf is also more economical at 6.0 l/100km, which just goes to show how far hot hatch technology has come.
The Megane GT 220 hatch is priced from £23,245, the Coupe GT 220 costs £24,230 and the Sport Tourer GT 220 is £24,245. All get the same four-year warranty, automatic headlights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, Renault R-Link with navigation, Bluetooth, a reversing camera and an upgraded Arkamys 3D sound system.
Our say: What's the point of buying a 220 hp Megane if it's not faster than the avearge German premium diesel sedan, like a BMW 320d?
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