Images leaked online have revealed the looks of the new 2018 Renaultsport Megane hot hatch before its official unveil.
The leaked images, which first emerged on the Virtuel-car Facebook page, show that the upcoming hot hatch version of the latest Megane won’t look that much different compared to other versions of the Renault.
There are some noteworthy updates to the Megane’s design which the Renaultsport introduces, such as the bumper lights shaped like the Renaultsport logo and similar to those found on the current Renaultsport Clio. The pictures also show the new Renaultsport Megane will have a sizeable diffuser at the rear to boost aerodynamic performance.
The new Renaultsport Megane will use a Sport chassis as standard, which favours a softer and more road-focused driving set-up. Buyers will be able to opt for a more aggressive Cup chassis, that will cater more towards track use.
Renault will officially reveal the new Renaultsport Megane undisguised during next month at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Reports from earlier this year confirmed that the new hot hatch will feature four-wheel steering, which is a first for this type of car. Having four-wheel steering enhances the agility and cornering ability of a car by allowing the rear wheels to move to assist steering.
At low speeds, the rear wheels steer in the opposite direction to the front wheels to reduce the turning circle, and at higher speeds steer in the same direction to increase cornering ability.
The engine the new Renaultsport Megane is expected to use is the same 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine found in the upcoming new Alpine A110 sports car. In the Megane, this engine is expected to be uprated to produce around 300bhp.
There are some rumours that the new RS Megane will actually use an all-new 2.0-litre petrol engine instead, but at the moment the use of the 1.8-litre unit seems more likely.
Unlike previous incarnations of the Renaultsport Megane which were available as three-door models, the new hot hatch is expected to be a five-door hot hatch only.