Filed under: Consumer
Renault HQ is killing off a load of its models and dealerships in order to save money, but the bread and butter Mégane is as safe as a joke on CBeebies.
The image above is of the new Renaultsport Mégane 265, which, you can probably work out from the name, gets an extra 15bhp over the old RS 250. It gets a little more torque too, and a more free-flowing exhaust, so it's louder.
And like the rest of the range, the RS 265 gets a few styling changes and new interior trim options.
In the more regular stuff there's the addition of daytime LEDs (no surprise there) and some gloss black bits for the front bumper.
The cabin ambience generally is improved, most notably on GT-Line versions, which get contrasting stitching for the leather on the wheel and seats, plus less obvious stuff like new sill guards. Of course, there are some new colours too: white and blue. Brilliant.
Most important, though, are the engine changes that make this the cleanest Mégane ever. We're aware that in reserving that revelation until paragraph six we've indulged in a flagrant disregard for the journalistic reverse pyramid convention, and for that we apologise sincerely.
Three of the available engines get start-stop, which Renault calls Start & Stop, confusingly, including a TCe 115 petrol engine, which happens to be the most powerful 1.2-litre petrol engine in the world, and returns 53.3mpg with 119g/km.
The other two are diesels: the dCi 110 and dCi 130. The first of those, a 1.5-litre unit, returns a staggering 80.7mpg and VED-free 90g/km. (Which is to say it still requires VED, but it doesn't cost anything.)
The dCi 130 model isn't too greedy either, returning 70.6mpg and 104g/km.
It goes on sale in April, but you can probably order one now if you're desperate.