Renault Megane RS safe for Australia, as UK sales end

The internal-combustion 2022 Renault Megane has stopped production for select European markets, according to an overseas report.

UK publication Autocar reports final versions of the fourth-generation Megane hatchback, wagon and sedan have rolled off production lines in Spain and Turkey, after 27 years and four generations.

However, a spokesperson for Renault Australia indicated the Megane RS will “continue... in limited numbers into 2023”, with production likely to continue for some regions, including Australia.

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Renault has not confirmed the report; however, the Megane has been removed from the brand’s UK consumer website.

Last year, a plug-in hybrid powertrain was added to the Megane in the UK, where it replaced traditional petrol and diesel engines.

It remains online on the official Renault pages for other European markets, including France and Spain.

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The small car will be succeeded by an all-electric small SUV, the Megane E-Tech Electric, which offers a ‘crossover’ body preferred by most new vehicle buyers.

It rides on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s dedicated CMF-EV architecture, shared with the Nissan Ariya, and will launch in Australia next year.

The current-generation Megane was revealed at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in Australia a year later.

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A full line-up, including wagon and sedan variants, was available before Renault Australia axed every model – excluding the RS hot hatch – throughout 2019.

The current local range solely consists of the high-output RS Trophy, available with a six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic transmission.

In recent months, Renault has increased local pricing for the Megane RS, rising from $53,990 plus on-road costs in early 2021 to $62,300 plus on-roads from July 1, 2022.

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Renault Megane E-Tech Electric

It will become the final Renault Sport model offered by the French marque, as the performance division has been rebranded as Alpine.

Local sales of the Megane have declined over the past five years, with 80 units reported as sold in the first half of 2022, compared to 636 examples over the same period in 2017.

Autocar states Renault sold 783 examples of the Megane in the United Kingdom during 2021, compared to 30,800 Volkswagen Golf and 21,800 Ford Focus models.