Forbidden fruit doesn’t come much juicier than the Renaultsport Mégane. Consistently among the fastest hot hatches Europe has to offer, the Mégane RS has come under assault recently from the Seat Leon Cupra and Honda Civic Type R – and will soon have to contend with the Ford Focus RS. Now the hot-hatch gurus at Renaultsport are responding.
The new Mégane RS 275 Cup-S is launching in the UK for the 2016 model year, and it packs the upgraded engine from the Mégane 275 Trophy and the Trophy-R that formerly held the Nürburgring front-drive lap record (before Honda stole it away). That means 10 extra horsepower from the 2.0-liter turbo four, now producing 275 hp and 265 pound-feet of torque. It comes with the upgraded Cup suspension as standard, and will run to 62 miles per hour from a standstill in 6.0 seconds flat en route to a top speed of 158 mph. Enthusiasts will also be tempted by options like adjustable Öhlins dampers, a titanium Akrapovič exhaust, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.
Those looking for a more comfortable ride, however, will want to look to the Mégane RS 275 Nav. Replacing the outgoing Mégane RS 265, the new model gets the same engine upgrades and performance figures as the Cup-S, but with higher levels of equipment. It comes with a more compliant Sport chassis, along with convenience features like automatic lights, wipers, climate control, keyless entry, and (as you might have surmised) a navigation system. It’s also being offered with a unique leather package to make it even more plush.