Renault Megane RS will come with 300 hp

Renault rolled out more information on their next-gen hot hatch, the all-new Megane RS, which is currently on the verge of being revealed to the public. It will have four-wheel steering and a choice between two different chassis setups.

Though engine details are not out yet, rumours say that it will ditch the current 2.0-litre turbo unit for the 1.8-litre unit from the Alpine A110 Sports car. This engine dishes out 249 hp and 320 Nm in the Alpine but for the Megane, it may be cranked up even further. Renault confirmed earlier that the new Megane RS will have around 300 horses up its sleeve.

The handful of “spy shots” released by Renault shows that the new RS looks similar to the current range topper, the Megane GT, albeit with minor modifications to the bumpers. The front fascia also houses a pair of chequered flag-styled daytime running lamps on the lower bumper. Beefier brakes and lowered suspension are also spotted in these shots.

The Megane RS will feature the 4CONTROL four-wheel steering system from the Megane GT which will improve the agility of the car. As it is a hatch rolling out of Renaultsport, buyers can opt for a track-bred Cup chassis as an option over the regular Sports chassis. The car will be mated to the EDC dual-clutch automatic gearbox from the Clio RS. A six-speed manual will also be available in some markets. The RS will be a front-wheel-drive offering only.

The 2018 Renault Megane RS is destined to be revealed publicly at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. When it comes, it will have Honda’s latest Civic Type-R in its crosshairs, as the latter currently rules the roost in the FWD hatchback lap-time table at the Nurburgring. It will also lock horns with the less-anticipated Hyundai i30N. The Megane RS will be followed by stripped-out Trophy and Trophy-R models.

It is unclear at this point if the new Megane RS will be offered in the GCC, as the previous-gen model was rumoured to come here, but never made it past Levant markets.