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Renault Megane RS Gets Trophy Engine with Surprise Facelift Launch

Somewhat out of the blue, French carmaker Renault announced on Monday, February 3, a facelift for the current generation Megane. Despite the fact that most of the visual changes are minor – borderline non-existent – there are a few mechanical upgrades meant to make the nameplate one of the most sought-after as soon as it launches later in summer.
2021 Renault Megane RS 64 photos
Photo: Renault
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To get the boring stuff out of the way, you should know that on the outside the new family comes with a redesigned bumper, and more sculpted air deflectors and wings. For the exterior, three new colors have been added to the available palette.

On the inside, changes are limited to new upholstery, as well as better offerings when it comes to the digital screens available: 9.3-inch for the multimedia and 10.2-inch for the instrument cluster.

The above changes will apply to the entire Megane range, namely hatchback, estate, RS Line, RS, and RS Trophy, but, as said, it’s not them that will make the headlines.

The first big news for Megane is that as of this year it is getting a plug-in hybrid version. Dubbed E-Tech Plug-In, it pairs a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine to a couple of electric motors, a multimode gearbox, and a 9.8 kWh battery. With 160 hp on tap, this version of the Megane can travel in all electric mode for up to 50 km (31 miles, WLTP mixed cycle), and at speeds that could reach 135 kph (84 mph).

At first, this powertrain configuration will only be available on the estate, but it should make its way to the hatchback later in the year.

The second big novelty is the fact that the engine usually deployed on the track-focused RS Trophy will from now on be deployed on Megane RS as well. That translates to 300 hp of power and 420 Nm of torque (30 more than before, with EDC gearbox) coming from the same 1.8-liter turbo that is also used on the Alpine 110.

Last but not least, the GT Line is going out the door, and for maximum confusion it will be replaced with the RS Line.

Full details on the new Megane family can be found in the PDF attached below.
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 Download: 2021 Renault Megane (PDF)

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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