SPYSHOTS: Renault Megane RS facelift seen testing

Posted in Cars, Renault, Spyshots / By Mick Chan / September 6 2019 8:54 am

The current Renault Megane RS has been on the market for what seems like just a short time, though it has actually been two years since the Megane IV-based hot hatch made its debut. Since then, there has been a Trophy variant with an extra 20 PS and 30 Nm, and of course also the Trophy-R which set about the task of reclaiming its ‘FWD King of the ‘Ring’ title earlier this year from the FK8 Honda Civic Type R.

(These, by the way, are two-thirds of a trio starring in the latest episode of the Driven Web Series; click through to watch and find out which hot hatch wins.)

Being still rather fresh, the exterior updates for the Megane RS appear limited to very slightly different headlamps and revised tail lamp internals; the wheels could also be updated for the next iteration. Bodywork including front and rear bumpers appears unchanged on the development cars spotted on this occasion.

Similarly, major equipment such as powertrain will be carried over for this minor update, with the 1.8 litre turbocharged inline-four set to continue with the available six-speed manual and six-speed EDC dual-clutch auto. As before, varying outputs should continue to feature in the facelift. Likewise, chassis setup is likely to remain, along with the 4Control four-wheel-steering system.

Some changes could arrive for equipment such as interior trim and an updated infotainment setup, and dashboard architecture could remain as before. Might there also be a similarly revised Trophy-R to continue as the top variant of the range? That remains to be seen, as the pre-facelift model has only been slated to arrive in showrooms before the end of this year.