Renault is calling time on petrol and diesel-powered versions of Megane Hatchback and estate ‘Sports Tourer’.
And in the Hatchback’s case, THIS is what’s taking its place - an ultra-economical plug-in hybrid returning 235 miles to the gallon.
The official title of the powertrain is ‘E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid’. You might be aware that you can already enjoy this engine set up in the estate version of the Megane. Up until now it’s not been available in the trendier Hatch version.
But all that changes in September - the same time Renault will phase-out all of its petrol and diesel Megane engines.
So what’s all the fuss about?
Well, there are two trim levels available - base ‘Iconic’ and sporty ‘R.S Line’.
Both feature a 1.6-litre petrol engine mated to a 65hp, or 49kW, electric motor, resulting in combined fuel economy of 235.4mpg and CO2 emissions of only 28g/km.
Renault says ‘efficiency isn’t to the detriment of performance’, either.
There’s 160 hp to play with, which gives you a 0-62mph acceleration time of 9.4 seconds, which isn’t too shabby at all. It’s also more powerful than any of the outgoing diesel and petrol variants.
If you’re a company car customer, the Megane Hatch Plug-In Hybrid qualifies for a Benefit-In-Kind rate of only 11 per cent, as well as zero VED costs for the first year.
And the other bit of good news is that both trim levels are also generously specced as standard.
You’ll enjoy an electronic parking brake, cruise control with speed limiter, a 10-inch driver’s display, Eco Mode, EV mode button, Renault’s ‘MULTI-SENSE’ system with three driving modes, eight ambient lighting colours, and a hands-free key card.
When it comes to safety tech, you get front and rear parking sensors, Hill Start Assist and the ‘Visio System’ that incorporates lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, and automatic high and low beam.
The ‘Iconic’ cars get 16 inch alloys and a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, while R.S. Line versions gain body-coloured bumpers, 17-inch rims, a larger 9.3 inch infotainment screen, as well as added extras like an Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), a rear parking camera and hands-free parking.
All in all, you can expect a ‘smooth’ and ‘refined’ ride, says Renault. A spokesperson adds:
“The Megane Hatch Plug-In Hybrid was engineered with input from the Alpine F1 team. It combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 1.2kW lithium-ion battery and two electric motors, together with the automatic, multi-mode dog gearbox that features in all other E-Tech models.
“In operation, it starts the vehicle in 100 per cent electric mode, significantly reducing the gap in acceleration during gear changes. This means a smoother, more refined drive plus better performance.
“The hybrid powertrain allows significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It is designed to use the optimal energy output to recharge the battery whenever the energy created is more than the required power. Then, kinetic energy recovered during deceleration or braking can be transformed into electrical energy to recharge the battery. The electrical energy is then in reserve to assist with acceleration, or for all-electric operation at lower speeds in urban areas, later in a journey.”
Further details and pricing will be announced nearer to the on-sale date, so we’ll keep you posted.
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