MEGA GALLERY: Renault Megane IV – full details

Full details of the new Renault Megane IV have been released, along with a massive 108-image gallery. The fourth-generation C-segment hatch is new from the ground up – it’s built on a new platform, utilises a range of new turbocharged engines and features a number of new technologies and active safety features.

The new car measures 4,359 mm long (64 mm longer than the car it replaces), 1,814 mm wide (6 mm wider) and 1,447 mm high (25 mm lower), with a 2,669 mm wheelbase (up 28 mm). The front and rear track are also wider than the outgoing model.

It’s certainly snazzier-looking, too, wearing the new Renault design language that debuted on the Talisman. At the front sit distinctive C-shaped headlights with LED 3D-effect light guides; higher-end models get full-LED headlights with automatic high beam. There are also permanently-lit LED tail lights that reach all the way to the trademark diamond badge as well, along with wheel sizes up to 18 inches.

More Talisman-style cues can be found inside – the cabin is dominated by the same optional portrait-format 8.7 inch capacitive touchscreen (with pinch-to-zoom functionality) for the R-Link 2 infotainment system. Also offered is a 7.0-inch TFT LCD instrument display, a colour head-up display, an improved ten-speaker Bose sound system and a Multi-Sense system with five driving modes.

Renault also promises that build quality – long a Megane bugbear – has been improved, thanks to foam-backed coverings on the dashboard and major touch points, chrome detailing and a full-grain Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel, among others. The seats also feature dual-density foam for improved comfort and support, and a driver’s side massage function and electrically-adjustable lumbar support are also available.

Not sporty enough for you? There’s also the Megane GT which adds more aggressive front and rear bumper designs, a rear diffuser with dual chrome exhaust exits, dark metal 17-inch alloy wheels (18’s optional) and dark metal exterior highlights. Inside, there are sportier seats (upholstered in either fabric or Alcantara) with improved support and integrated head rests, blue highlights and a unique steering wheel rim.

At launch, the Megane is offered with a 1.2 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine in 100 PS/175 Nm Energy TCe 100 and 130 PS/205 Energy TCe 130 flavours, mated to a six-speed manual transmission; a seven-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) unit will be offered on the 130 PS variant in the first half of next year.

Also available is a 205 PS/280 Nm 1.6 litre Energy TCe 205 turbo mill exclusively for the Megane GT, as well as a 115 PS/156 Nm 1.6 litre naturally-aspirated SCe 115 that will be offered on markets outside Europe in the first half of 2016. The former is mated with a seven-speed EDC transmission, while the latter will only be offered with a CVT.

On the diesel side, there’s a 1.5 litre turbodiesel offered in 90 PS/220 Nm Energy dCi 90 and 110 PS/260 Nm Energy dCi 110 variants, with either a six-speed manual or, in the case of the 110 PS version, a seven-speed EDC. A manual-only 130 PS/320 Nm 1.6 litre Energy dCi 130 mill is also offered, while a 165 PS/380 Nm Energy dCi 165 version with EDC is available only on the Megane GT from June onwards.

At the beginning of 2017, Renault will introduce a Hybrid Assist variant based on the Energy dCi 110, equipped with a 48 V battery – it’s targeted to produce carbon dioxide emissions of just 76 grams per kilometre and fuel consumption of under 3.0 litres per 100 kilometres on the NEDC cycle.

Under the skin, the suspension features revised dampers and bump stops for improved comfort, while the removal of rubber mountings between the subframe and body generates better precision and response from the steering. The front wishbone bushings have also been retuned for better road holding, and the rear suspension joints and torsion beam have been tweaked to improve ride comfort. Better insulation, standard acoustic windscreens and a stiffer body structure improves NVH.

Developed in conjunction with Renault Sport, the Megane GT gets 4Control four-wheel steering, with the rear wheels turning in the opposite direction to the fronts at speeds under 60 km/h (80 km/h in Sport mode) for improved agility and precision, and turning in the same direction as the front wheels above those speeds for better stability. Also included is launch control and the ability to downshift multiple times in quick succession on the EDC, available in Sport mode.

Based on the same CMF C/D (Common Module Family) platform as on the new Espace and Talisman, the Megane gets the latest driver assist systems such as adaptive cruise control, Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS), lane departure warning, Safe Distance Warning (SDW), speed limit detection, blind spot warning and an Easy Park Assist that can autonomously park in parallel, perpendicular or angled spaces.

Browse all 103 photos of the new Renault Megane IV after the jump.

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