WhichCar

Renault Megane sedan and wagon coming in 2017

Renault will expand its small car family in early 2017 with new sedan and wagon variants.

Renault Megane wagon
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Renault Australia will bulk up its Renault Megane small car range in the first half of next year, with both sedan and wagon bodystyles set to join the just-launched Megane five-door hatch.

For the time being a three-door coupe will continue to be available for the Renault Megane RS hot hatch, however supply is evaporating as Renault gears up to launch its next-generation replacement – which will be based on the five-door hatch bodystyle.

And while a wagon variant was offered in Australia in the previous-generation Megane range, a sedan hasn’t been sold Down Under since 2010. The forgettable Fluence sedan filled that role instead, until it was dumped from the range in 2015.

Renault Megane wagon
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2017 will be the first year where Renault Australia will offer all three bodystyles at the same time.

“We plan to add a wagon and a sedan soon, both of which have previously provided us good opportunities in this market,” said v boss Justin Hocevar.

“It will be the first half of next year for both [sedan and wagon]. We’ll feature all three variants under the Megane nameplate.”

However, don’t expect the Megane hatch lineup to be mirrored exactly in the Megane sedan and Megane wagon.

Renault Megane sedan
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WhichCar understands that a GT-spec Megane sedan is unlikely, with the four-door instead expected to be powered exclusively by the 97kW/205Nm 1.2-litre turbo engine that is the mainstay of the Megane hatchback range.

The more powerful 151kW/280Nm 1.6-litre turbo inline-four of the Megane GT hatch may, however, find its way into the wagon. Renault offers a Megane GT wagon in France and the UK, with that model receiving the same engine and rear-wheel-steering of its five-door hatch equivalent.

Besides being longer and heavier than the hatch, the Megane GT wagon shares most of its specifications with the GT hatchback – though its extra heft sees it hit 100km/h three-tenths of a second slower, at 7.4 seconds on the 0-100km/h sprint.

With the $38,490 Megane GT hatch expected to account for at least 30 percent of local sales, a long-booted equivalent is likely.

Renault Megane sedan
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What’s less likely is a diesel model.

“Diesel is available to us, we’re still considering it [for Megane],” said Hocevar.

“But at this point in time there’s not a high uptake of diesel in this segment, and we have some very efficient engines already and there’s not a huge difference in the price of petrol versus diesel either.”

The Megane hatchback is currently on sale in Australia, with pricing ranging from $22,490 for the base Megane Life manual, stretching to $38,490 for the Megane GT auto.

For full specifications and pricing, read our Renault Megane hatch summary.

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