Renault Megane RS

The latest tech-heavy iteration of Renault’s front-wheel-drive rocket pulls no punches

- Andrew Guerrero

The first-ever Megane RS made its debut in 2003 as Renault’s entry to the compact hot-hatch segment. Even before the introduction of the Renault Sport-developed Clio 16V and Clio Williams in the ’90s, the French car maker had been churning out hot hatches like the R5 GT Turbo and Alpine variants. Drawing from its long history of building performance models and race cars, it has created this latest iteration of its compact hot hatch.

The new Megane RS now comes in a five door, front-wheel-drive package that is more practical than the previous sporty three-door body style. That doesn’t make it any less special than its predecessors, though. Up front, it features a mesh grille with a tiny RS badge under the diamond emblem.