It’s hard to believe that the Renault Mégane is now 22 years old. Through four generations, the French favourite has been pushing the boundaries of style, safety and technology. It’s grown into a family of bodystyles and engines, from a pioneering people carrier to a number of celebrated Renault Sport performance versions.
Style and innovation has always been at the core of the Mégane’s DNA, with each new model taking a big step forward in terms of design, safety and technology. As we celebrate the launch of All-New Mégane, we investigate the qualities that have been in each of the four generations and show you how much has changed over time.
Renault Megane I
1995 – 2002, 2,156,000 sold
The first Mégane was unveiled to an expectant crowd at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show, but its journey began far earlier than that. Plans for the Renault 19 replacement were first drawn up in 1990, with the first prototypes shown to management in 1992 – reportedly, over 430 prototypes were produced and destroyed before launch.
The curvy shape, penned by world-renowned designer Patrick Le Quement, featured styling cues from the larger Laguna and a ‘bird beak’ grille design inspired by classic 1960s Renaults. It launched first as a four-door saloon and five-door hatchback, with the stylish convertible and sporty three-door coupe versions arriving later. In 1996 it also spawned the Mégane Scenic, an innovative model credited with kick-starting the mini-MPV sector. The Mégane therefore had a wide range of bodystyles, and as a result could fit seamlessly into any lifestyle.
Occupant safety played a vital part in Renault’s development of the Mk1 Mégane, with specification well ahead other mid-nineties family cars. It featured a crash safety structure with crumple zones, three-point seatbelts all-round, both driver and passenger airbags and the first generation of Renault’s System for Restraint and Protection (SRP). All of these measures ensured that when Euro NCAP crash tested the Mégane it received a four-star rating, a best-in-class rating at the time. The 1999 facelift made it even safer, with side airbags and ABS made standard across the range to complement the updated looks and engines.
Renault Megane II
2002-2008, 2,154,000 sold
The 21st century saw Renault usher in a bold new design language for its models, and the Mégane II was one of the most distinctive. The angular shape was inspired by the radical Avantime, and allowed owners to make a real statement in a market that was traditionally bland. The curvy rear-end also inspired a controversial backside-celebrating ad campaign which predated the modern ‘twerking’ craze by more than a decade.
But the Mégane II was more than just a fashion statement. In fact, it was voted European Car of the Year back in 2003. Sitting on an all-new platform, it moved the game on with big-car technology; for example, the sector-first Renault Card keyless ignition and a panoramic glass sunroof, at a time when most rivals only had air-con and electric windows to shout about. The Mégane Coupe-Cabriolet convertible also featured a clever folding metal roof, a feature usually reserved for high-end luxury cars.
Of course safety was a priority, and the Mégane brought technology from much more expensive cars there, too. Take the anti-submarining airbag for example, which jumps out of the lower seat cushion in a crash to prevent the passenger sliding under the seatbelt. Features like this made it join a handful of more expensive cars at the time in achieving a full five-star Euro NCAP rating.
The second-generation Mégane was also the first to have a hot Renault Sport model, producing over 220bhp from a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. Further Renault Sport versions followed, with the Mégane Renault Sport R26.R the hottest, featuring track-focused characteristics including a carbon fibre bonnet and Sabelt race seats, totalling a weight saving of 123kg from the Mégane Renault Sport 230 F1 Team R26 it was derived from. These cars were acclaimed at the time and now are acquiring ‘modern classic’ status.
Renault Megane III
2008-2016, 1,505,000 sold
After the bold and sometimes divisive design of the Mégane II, Renault decided to take a different approach with the third-generation car. The softer, classier exterior design reflected the French carmaker’s intentions to move the family hatch upmarket, while the interior took a sizeable leap forward in terms of quality and technology.
The five-door hatchback and Sports Tourer estate majored on practicality, but it wasn’t all rationality: Renault also re-introduced the Coupe name for its sleek-looking three-door with unique bodywork from the windscreen back. A new Mégane Coupe-Cabriolet was also introduced in 2010, with a new two-piece panoramic glass folding roof that set new standards for refinement.
The Mégane hatchback was a full 10cm longer than the old car, yet 8kg lighter thanks to a weight-saving construction. The new generation of Renault’s electric steering system was more responsive than before and helped increase efficiency to save fuel.
Cabin tech included a neat digital dashboard and, on top models, an integrated TomTom sat-nav with real-time data and speed camera warnings. There were also up to eight airbags, and several useful safety features that contributed to another five star Euro NCAP safety rating. The brand’s innovative dual-clutch EDC automatic gearbox debuted here, too.
To further increase fuel efficiency, Renault also introduced its first range of downsized turbo petrol engines on the Mégane, whilst the popular 1.5 dCi diesel remained a strong performer when it came to frugality.
Enthusiasts weren’t forgotten either, with fast and fun Renault Sport versions, with both the 265 Trophy and 275 Trophy-R setting lap records for a front-wheel drive production car around the legendary Nurburgring racetrack.
New Megane
2016 – on:
Released last year, the all-new fourth-generation Mégane moves the bar higher than ever in the style and quality stakes. From a blank canvas, it is the purest expression of what Mégane stands for to date.
The striking profile, penned by Senior Vice President of Corporate Design, Laurens Van Den Acker, features a bold front-end with Renault’s signature C-shaped LED daytime running lights, while the new car is longer, wider and lower than before. It also sits on the latest modular platform that emerged from the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and is one of the more spacious cars in its class as a result.
All-New Mégane is crammed full of technology that only a few years ago was unheard of in the family hatch sector. Notable features include the portrait-orientated 8.7-inch R-Link touchscreen satellite-navigation and infotainment system, standard from Dynamique S Nav, and the BOSE® sound system, optional from Dynamique S Nav upwards. There’s even adjustable ambient lighting and configurable drive modes thanks to the ‘MULTI-SENSE’ system, present on Dynamique Nav and above.
The current top-spec 203bhp GT Nav model renews Renault’s spirit of innovation with the innovative and uncommon 4CONTROL four-wheel steering feature, turning the rear-wheels in sync with the front to improve both agility and stability. And on the safety front it’s a familiar story, with All-New Mégane achieving a five-star Euro NCAP rating to make it three times in a row, while Renault also offers peace of mind with a four-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
A familiar range of five four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines are offered in All-New Mégane; the most frugal of which (the 1.5-litre dCi diesel) emits just 96g/km*. For those looking for the ultimate Mégane there’s a little longer to wait – the Renault Sport model will be unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with sales due to commence in Spring 2018.
* Figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EU Legislation and may not reflect real life driving results