Photo: Florin Profir
Ever since Renault launched the Kadjar compact crossover, fans of the French automaker have been wondering when will the Kadjar go full-on RS. No decision has been made yet, and the same applies to the smaller Captur and bigger Koleos. The thing is, it would be foolish to rule out the Renault Sport division from turning a utility vehicle into something of a hot hatchback on stilts.
On the sidelines of the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, motoring publication Automarket had a chat with Patrice Ratti. According to the head of Renault Sport, the automaker “is thinking about this possibility.” According to the man behind the Alpine A110 and Megane RS, an SUV bearing the RS badge “isn’t a forbidden fruit, but we won’t make it if it doesn’t turn out to be up to par.”
The byword here is cost control, with Ratti suggesting that turning a regular model into an RS shouldn’t be the sort of metamorphosis that can be described as a bottomless money pit. “I don’t think we’ll ever make an RS people carrier, but an SUV or any kind of sedan or hatchback? Why not?”
Considering the Kadjar is underpinned by the Renault-Nissan CMF-C/D platform, there should be a possibility to make the compact crossover a lot faster and nicer to drive. The reason is, the CMF-C/D also acts as the backbone of the Megane IV. And the Talisman. And Koleos. In addition to this scenario, there’s also hearsay according to which Alpine is interested in bringing a sporty crossover to market as soon as the year 2019.
From the interview published by Automarket, we also learn that the Megane RS could go mild-hybrid for the next generation of the compact hot hatchback. “All future vehicles will receive some level of electrification,” said Ratti. “This is probably the last Megane RS with a classic powertrain,” he added, explaining that mild hybrid is the most likely way to go.
The byword here is cost control, with Ratti suggesting that turning a regular model into an RS shouldn’t be the sort of metamorphosis that can be described as a bottomless money pit. “I don’t think we’ll ever make an RS people carrier, but an SUV or any kind of sedan or hatchback? Why not?”
Considering the Kadjar is underpinned by the Renault-Nissan CMF-C/D platform, there should be a possibility to make the compact crossover a lot faster and nicer to drive. The reason is, the CMF-C/D also acts as the backbone of the Megane IV. And the Talisman. And Koleos. In addition to this scenario, there’s also hearsay according to which Alpine is interested in bringing a sporty crossover to market as soon as the year 2019.
From the interview published by Automarket, we also learn that the Megane RS could go mild-hybrid for the next generation of the compact hot hatchback. “All future vehicles will receive some level of electrification,” said Ratti. “This is probably the last Megane RS with a classic powertrain,” he added, explaining that mild hybrid is the most likely way to go.
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