First look: Megane goes sporty

RENAULT just keeps spinning off variants of its small-medium Megane range, the latest two introductions being the Sport and the seven-seat Grand Scenic at the Frankfurt motor show.

Available in three and five-door form, the Sport is powered by a 168kW/300Nm 2.0-litre 16-valve turbo engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Renault claims a 0-100km/h dash of 6.7 seconds.

Grand Scenic has a longer rear overhang and wheelbase than the standard version that gives it the room for a third row of seats.

It is the first time in Europe’s wildly popular compact people-mover market that the same car has been offered in two lengths.

Both models are currently under consideration for release in Australia in 2004. However, the first models in the range start arriving in Australia from December 2003.