<p>The Renault Sport&nbsp;M&eacute;gane&nbsp;is a hot hatch legend. This new one aims to carry on the bloodline On sale Now Price from &pound;28,995</p>

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ALTHOUGH MANY CONSIDER the Volkswagen Golf GTI to be the car that kicked off the hot hatch genre in the 1970s, you could argue that Renault has spent many a year perfecting the breed. Through the decades, it has done rather well in our Car of the Year awards. But time (and the Honda Civic Type R) had pushed the previous Mégane RS down the pecking order – something this latest version aims to rectify. Although the engine is down from 2.0 litres to 1.8 litres, power stays at 276bhp, and there’s still the option of a Cup chassis with stiffer springs and a limited-slip differential for added traction out of corners. While the Mégane doesn’t have the power of the 316bhp Civic Type R, it’s very nearly as quick; you just have to work the engine harder to extract maximum performance. The standard six-speed manual gearbox has short throws but is rather notchy. For the first time, though, you have the option of a dual-clutch automatic if you prefer. Four-wheel steering is also standard on every Mégane RS, reducing the turning circle and (more excitingly) boosting agility. With the car in its most aggressive Race setting, its rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front ones at up to 62mph – around double the speed at which four-wheel steering normally works. In English, that means the car doesn’t just feel keen to turn in; it’s addicted to corners. It might feel almost unst

This story is from the August 2018 edition of What Car? UK.

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