Renault Aus axes Megane RS Sport and Cup

BY CALLUM HUNTER | 12th Jan 2021

RENAULT Australia is culling its hot Megane RS range from four variants to just two with both the Sport and Cup versions set to get the axe as part of an MY21 update to the flagship hot hatch line-up.

With both the 205kW versions going out the window, the only choice prospective Megane RS owners will have to make is which transmission they want, with the options still being either a six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic.

In justifying the move, Renault Australia managing director Anouk Poelmann said the Trophy versions had definitively become “the weapon of choice for Renault hot hatch fans”.

“It continues to demonstrate the passion Renault inspires among performance vehicle customers,” she said.

Compared to the Sport and Cup, the Trophy is blessed with an extra 16kW of power and 10Nm of torque – 221kW/400Nm vs 205kW/390Nm – from its turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which is paired with the same focused suspension tune as the Cup.

It also features upgraded brakes peeking out from behind more aggressive 19-inch alloy wheels as standard.

For 2021, Renault is gifting the Trophy low-speed autonomous emergency braking, a new 10-inch driver display (up from 7.0-inches) and a new 9.3-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard (up from 8.7-inches)

A new shark-fin style antenna has also been added on the roof.

While Renault has not revealed the value of the new additions, prices have risen across the board by $500 to $53,990 plus on-road costs for the manual and $56,990 for the automatic.

Despite the Sport and Cup variants being marginally more affordable than the Trophy, Ms Poelmann said the brand was confident the extra features added as part of the update would “add more fans to the growing Megane fraternity”.

Not only does the axing halve the number of RS variants available in Australia, it also halves the number of Meganes available here full stop with the RS’ being the only grades offered Down Under since the middle of 2019.

Last year the brand sold 233 Meganes nationally, occupying a slim 0.2 per cent share of the sub-$40,000 small car segment.

2021 Renault Megane pricing*