Summarize

People have their own opinions and we have ours. There’s always an argument to which hot hatch is king and this one carries our crown. For now. Just to be clear, a hot hatch in its purest form is still a front-wheel driven car and Le Coq here gets our vote. 

We anticipated driving RS Megane for a while and it was worth the wait in the end – not only does the dramatic Frenchman fit the bill, but its tech spec has been a source of intrigue too.  Downscaled to 1.8-litres, the high-tech twin scroll turbocharged 205kW RS 280 is a champion in its own right, stealing our front wheel drive test record in the process.

Aimed at performance and trackday prowess in this Cup incarnation, with lightweight 19” alloys and bi-material brake discs to deliver a poised and entertaining drive, albeit perhaps a tad mute versus some rivals, but that plays to its advantage in our book. Even if those Michelins are a touch noisy on the road.

Comfortable and well-equipped (and perhaps a touch gimmicky too, but that’s quite cool) it accommodates all statures well and is a pleasant driving space. All the necessary tech is also packed in along with all those RS Monitor gadgets to report every millisecond and g of your rapid progress. 

But like a Parisian cock, RS Megane not only looks the part and drivers superbly, but its limited-slip differential and four-wheel steering make for ultimate poise in a brilliant bargain that humbles its perhaps overbearing chief rival on the price lists and steals its ABR! acceleration crown too.

Not just that, but it also represents a significant step forward in front-wheel drive chassis performance and handling too, as its systems conspire to ensure swift, safe driving in any circumstance to convince us that it’s best in class right now. Well that’s our take on it anyway. 

QUICK TEST Renault Sport Megane 280 Cup

Engine:          302W 550Nm 1798cc turbo petrol I4   

Drive:            6-speed auto FWD

TESTED:

0-100km/h:      5.72 sec 

0-160km/h:      12.71 sec

400m:              13.9sec @ 168km/h   

80-120km/h:    3.38 sec

120-160km/h: 5.17 sec          

CLAIMED:                               

VMax:            255km/h                                

Fuel:            7.2 l/100km                           

CO2:              150g/km

Warranty/Service:  5y 90K/5y 105Kkm  

LIST PRICE:      R550K

RATED: 89