Road Test: Renault Megane RS Trophy

Price as tested: €39,000 (approx)

+ Sublime chassis, massive poke, price
– Cheap cabin fittings, needs a racetrack to fully exploit
= Best hot hatch of the year. Possibly ever



It should all be bang-crash-wallop. Stuffing a massively powerful engine under the bonnet of a family hatchback, and then lowering and stiffening it while garnishing it with a side order of tyres so low in profile that they resemble watch straps should be a recipe for excitement tinged with acute discomfort.

But the Renault Megane RS Trophy is simply not like that, and that is a verdict drawn from driving it on the most challenging, bumpy and poorly maintained road surfaces that Ireland has to offer.

Renault has a long and glittering career of producing the finest hot hatches behind it, from the mousy-looking R19 16v through the fabulous Clio Williams and up to recent gems like the current Clio RS 200 and the previous generation Megane R.26. But the Megane Trophy could yet turn out to be the shiniest gem of the lot. It uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder engine with 265bhp and 360Nm of torque which is, remarkably, more efficient in both consumption and emissions (claimed 8.2-litres per 100km and 190g/km of Co2) than its less powerful predecessor.

What had me assuming that it would be a desperately uncompromising and uncomfortable track-day special was the fact that it holds the production car lap record at the Nurburgring. Cars tweaked for the ‘Ring tend not to do so well when bumps, cambers and other traffic are introduced to the equation. IN fact cars tweaked at and for the ‘Rinfg tend to annoy me an utterly astonishing amount by, on bumpy proper roads, being undriveable, harsh-riding dens of awfulness that I just can’t wait to get out of. The Trophy proved me so, so wrong though.

Climb aboard and you get the standard Megane cabin (which is fine if nothing more) upgraded with fabulous Recaro bucket seats which hug without squeezing. The rev counter is, Ferrari style, painted bright yellow and there’s a plaque on the centre console informing that this particular car is number 21 in the series. It’s comfy and I, someone who likes the occasional almod crossiant, really appreciated the extra bit of space and give in the buckets. Far too many sports seats are just constrictive and uncomfortable. Like all Meganes, space in the back is good and the boot is a decent size too. Do you care? Thought not. On with the driving experience...

The steering, although short on real feedback, is beautifully weighted and positive and as soon as the Trophy is rolling just gives you this terrific feeling of meatiness and control. We may have lost true road feel in the switch from hydrualic to electric power steering but RenaultSport has proven with this rack that you can still mkae fake feel good.

The ride, even with those 35-section 235 Bridgestones on 19” wheels, feels remarkably supple. On the motorway, with cruise engaged, the Megane is a refined and comfortable cruiser. This isn’t supposed to be in the script.

Find a road with more twists and it really comes to life. Front grip is simply remarkable, allowing you to carry speed safely through all but the tightest corners, while that steering weight gives you something to lean against as you choose your line. The Brembo brakes are strong and delay the onset of anti-lock remarkably well, even on slippery surfaces, but ultimately never give you that I’ve-just-hit-a-brick-wall that the best performance car brakes give you. Pity that and a pity too that the silly drilled metal pedals are too slippy and act as a bit of a confidence drain.
What brings back the confidence is the Megane’s poise. The way it reacts to direction changes is utterly brilliant. I have a quiet stretch of road to test such things (no, I’m not telling you where it is) and never have I driven anything that deals quite so will with a particular bit of off-camber approach, sudden direction-change tarmac as the Trophy.

 That 6.0sec 0-100kmh time allows you to sprint away from tight junctions, with the tractions control juddering away to keep the front tyres in play.

But it’s the ride that really impresses. It’s certainly not soft, but it feels remarkably well tuned for Irish roads, shrugging off lumps and scars on the road with a relaxed gait, while still giving you the sort of iron-fisted body control that you really need to be able to enjoy a good drive. Honestly, I don’t know how Renault has managed to get such a fast car to be so comfy. Witchcraft, perhaps?

The only slight let down is, surprisingly, the engine itself. Yes it’s powerful, and makes a nice roar at the top end, but it’s only at that top end that you really feel the power. That big turbo only really starts puffing at 4.500rpm and it’s all over at 6,000rpm.  It’s not slow below the 4,500rpm mark, far from it, but you only get the big guns firing once you stretch it past this point and by that time, you’re already going so quickly that, on the public road, you’re not really going to stretch it any farther. Bigger fireworks lower down the rev range, even if they compromised ultimate grunt, would make the Trophy a little more enjoyably unruly. The noise is good, a bassy bellow that encourages further listening, but again it’s all happening in the final 1,000rpm. Lower down, the refinement is welcome on a long journey but you do crave a bit more aural entertainment.

But the price. Renault Ireland has still to set a final price for the Trophy, but circa €39,000 makes it one of the performance bargains of the decade. Honestly. The Megane Trophy is so useable, so easy to get the best from, so biddable and such gloriously good fun to drive that you really are talking about buying cars costing three, four even five times as much before you’re into something that you can honestly say is a quantifiably faster way to cover tarmac miles. If Renault had added €20k to the price, we’d still have called it good. As it is, barely any more expensive than a specced up Golf GTI, it is an utter legend.

Facts & Figures:
Renault Megane RS Trophy
Price as tested: €39,000 (approx)
Price range: €18,890 to €39,000 (approx)
Capacity: 1,998cc
Power: 265bhp
Torque: 360Nm
Top speed: 254kmh
0-100kmh: 6.0sec
Economy: 8.2l-100km (34.8mpg)
CO2 emissions: 190g/km
Road Tax Band: E €630
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 2-star pedestrian