Renault Megane IV debuts at Frankfurt 2015 show

Now that the Frankfurt Motor Show has come along, Renault has released more info about their new C-segment contender, the Renault Megane IV. You’ll notice two different Meganes in these photos – one is a standard Megane while the blue one is the Megane GT, developed in conjunction (not by – that will be the new Megane RS) the Renaultsport division.

Built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s Common Module Family (CMF) vehicle architecture, the new Megane is 64mm longer (4,359mm) and 25mm lower (1,447mm) than the third-generation Mégane, and has a 28mm longer wheelbase (2,669mm). The front and rear track widths have been widened by 47mm and 39mm respectively to 1,591mm and 1,586mm, while the rear overhang has been shortened.

There will be various petrol and diesel engines available including three turbodiesels with 90, 110 or 130 horsepower outputs, and three turbocharged petrols with 100, 130 or 205 horsepower. The 205 horsepower Megane GT TCe 205 will be equipped with a seven-speed EDC dual clutch gearbox as standard. The EDC is an option for the 110 diesel and TCe 130 engines, while the rest make do with a six-speed manual.

A range-topping 165 hp GT diesel as well as a motor assist hybrid diesel will come later in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Renault targets an NEDC cycle fuel consumption of below 3 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions of 76 g/km for the diesel hybrid.

A new Multi-Sense button allows the driver to modify throttle, engine and gearshift response. The system offers a choice of five different driving modes – Sport, Normal, Comfort, Perso and Eco.

The Megane IV can be optioned with lots of gadgets, which Renault says is an advantage of being built on the CMF platform. This means equipment developed for cars typically in upper segments (the Talisman, for example) can be offered in a C-segment car.

This includes a retractable colour head-up display, a 7-inch colour Thin Film Transistor (TFT) instrument display, a portrait-format 8.7-inch R-Link 2 touchscreen with a pinch-and-zoom interface (an upgrade from a 7-inch landscape display) and 4Control four-wheel steering for the GT.

Yes, the Megane GT has four-wheel steering. Other equipment unique to the GT include recalibrated dampers, springs, ESC and brakes. The EDC gearbox has an added feature called Multi Change Down, which enables rapid downshifting, and Launch Control. The Multi-Sense feature has its Eco mode replaced with an R.S. Drive mode.

The Renaultsport-inspired interior of the GT has wrap-around seats with integral headrests, a bespoke steering wheel, sports pedals in aluminium, a special gear lever and steering-wheel mounted gearshift paddles.

For both the standard Megane and the Megane GT, five different interior lighting ambiances are available: red, green, blue, purple and brown. The illumination covers the centre console, as well as the front and rear doors of high-end versions, and is linked to the display colour on the TFT screen and the R-Link display.

Safety features include adaptive cruise control and automated emergency braking; lane departure, safe distance and speed limit warnings, the latter linked to traffic sign recognition; and blind spot monitoring.  A reversing camera, automatic switching between main and dipped headlight beams, hands-free parking and front, rear and side parking aids are also available.

The Megane IV will go on sale in Europe in early 2016.

GALLERY: Renault Megane

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