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Renault has added a second Renault Sport model to its range with the release of the new Renault Sport Mégane 225. This sports version of the Mégane II program carries over all the comfort and safety features of the Mégane II, whose hatch version was voted “European Car of the Year 2003”. The Renault Sport Mégane 225 is built in the Dieppe factory, which is dedicated to the manufacture of the brand's sporting cars.

Distinctive styling cues ensure the Mégane Sport stands out from the crowd. From the front, the lines of the Mégane II have been enhanced by a wide air intake grille and integrated front foglamps.

The rear bumper is cut away around the central twin-pipe exhaust outlet. A spoiler integrated with the upper part of the rear hatch improves aerodynamic characteristics and increases stability at high speed.

Huge 17-inch alloy wheels fill the wheel arches at each corner of the car, further strengthening the robust character suggested by the Mégane II.

Inside, the interior styling reflects the exterior design. The idea of “sporty driving” is expressed through the leather steering wheel, the aluminium pedal pads and footrest and the graphic treatment of the instrument dials.

The Mégane Sport is available in one configuration, the five-door hatch, and is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox.

With 165 kilowatts and 300Nm of torque on tap, the Mégane Sport offers impressive performance and excellent flexibility across the rev-range.

The 2.0-litre turbo engine was jointly developed by Renault Sport Technologies and Renault's Powertrain Engineering Department to create a high-performance unit which is also suitable for daily use.

An innovative front suspension, double axis strut system featuring an independent steering axis ensures precision of steering and handling.

Large diameter disc brakes utilise 4-pot calipers on the front for maximum performance and fade resistance. For additional assurance, particularly in the wet, the Mégane Sport is fitted with the latest-generation Bosch 8.0 ABS with EBD and brake assist.

Like the entire Mégane II range, the Mégane Sport benefits from innovative and superior equipment levels. The cruise control/speed limiter, 6-speaker CD audio system with handy satellite radio controls, climate control airconditioning, electrochromic interior mirror, automatic operation of the headlamps as well as the automatic variation of wiper speed form part of the standard kit.

An optional LX pack is available, adding a sunroof, six CD stacker and full leather trim.

The Renault Sport Mégane 225 is priced at $42,990* while the LX pack is available for an additional $4000.

The Mégane Sport offers the same safety features found in the Mégane II range which includes the first compact hatchback to achieve a maximum 5-star rating in the crash tests conducted by Euro-NCAP organisation.

Occupant protection has been optimised using the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection which has been fitted to all the group's new models since 2001. For front seat occupants, the Mégane Sport has double volume dual front SRS airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags for protection and both front seatbelts are fitted with pretensioners and load limiters.

Rear seat passengers are also protected by the curtain airbags and both outboard passengers have 3-point inertia-reel safety belts with load limiters and pretensioners.

The Dieppe factory is responsible for the assembly of the Renault Sport Mégane 225, taking body shells from Renault's production facility at Palencia in Spain. As with the Clio 2.0 16V and V6, the Mégane Sport benefits from the experience and know-how of a site dedicated to the manufacture of the group's sporting cars.

According to Renault Australia's director of operations, Rudi Koenig, the Renault Sport Mégane 225 offers buyers a stylish and practical performance vehicle.

“The Mégane Sport is a welcome addition to the Renault Sport range we are creating here in Australia. Our aim is to develop the Renault Sport name and to show buyers a more passionate side of the brand,” Mr Koenig said.

“The arrival of the new Mégane Renault Sport, together with the new Clio Renault Sport gives buyers two first class vehicles to choose from.”

*All prices quoted are recommend retail pricing and do not include dealer delivery and on-road costs.

Renault has launched a modern and well-balanced car into the sports hatchback market. The Mégane Sport declares its sportiness without ostentation while adopting an approach which reflects driving pleasure.

A wide air intake in the front bumper suggests the potential of the engine developed by Renault Sport Technologies. The front foglamps are built into the ends of the bumper.

Characteristic of the “Renault Sport” style, the rear bumper is cut away around the central twin-pipe exhaust outlet. A spoiler integrated with the upper part of the rear hatch improves aerodynamic characteristics and increases stability at high speed.

Together with the generously dimensioned (225/45) tyres, the 17-inch alloy wheels fill the wheel arches. The perforated design of the rims is an expression of speed and shows off the generously dimensioned brake calipers. In this way the Mégane Sport creates an impression of power and of high grip.

The new body colours distinguish the Mégane Sport from other sporting hatchbacks. Each in its own way emphasizes the car's sporting character: Blood Orange, Black Gold, Hi Tech Grey, Deep Blue and Artic Blue.

The interior colour scheme of the Mégane Sport reflects the exterior design. The idea of “sporty driving” is expressed through the leather steering wheel, the aluminium pedal pads and footrest, and the graphic treatment of the instrument dials.

The cushion and side support rolls on the seats are deeply curved. They are upholstered in leather/cloth on the entry level and full leather on the optional LX. The stitching on the seats, steering wheel and door panel, together with the safety belts are all Blood Orange coloured.

As in all products developed by Renault Sport Technologies, the “Renault Sport” badge appears inside the cabin on the instruments, the sill kickplates and front seats. Outside, logos are placed at each side and on the rear hatch and on the engine trim cover.

Engineered for precision of control

The Mégane Sport carries over the platform design of Mégane II with its wheelbase of 2617mm. Its front and rear tracks have been increased to 1517mm (+7mm) and 1521mm (+15mm) respectively for enhanced stability and grip.

Renault Sport Technologies has developed a front suspension with an independent steering axis to endow the Mégane Sport with roadholding and traction of the highest level. This new layout maintains the geometric characteristics of the front suspension, especially during hard acceleration or severe cornering.

The spring rates and the 20mm diameter anti-roll bar are adapted to the sporting character of the Mégane Renault Sport, while retaining ride comfort.

The front suspension is carried on an isolated sub-frame to limit the transmission of vibrations. A cross-beam has been added between the two arms of the sub-frame to increase its stiffness. The front-end geometry is therefore maintained whatever the applied forces.

The rear suspension consists of a programmed deflection beam whose stiffness has been increased by 12% (compared with Mégane II) to achieve optimum roll control during sporty driving. Its mounting points are ideally placed just ahead of and within the wheel axis.

The suspension travel has been reduced to 65mm at the front and 84mm at the rear.

The stiffness of the isolating bushes has been increased by 22% (compared with Mégane II) and the stiffened damper settings provide the Mégane Sport with stable and accurate behaviour.

The Mégane Sport braking system provides deceleration ability and fade resistance of the first order. Thus a stopping distance of less than 36mm can be achieved in 10 consecutive stops from 100km/h.

The front brakes make use of 4-pot calipers developed by Brembo. The four discs, also supplied by Brembo, are of large diameter (312mm ventilated at the front and 300mm at the rear) and of considerable thickness (28mm at the front and 11mm at the rear).

The latest-generation Bosch 8.0 ABS with EBD allows the rear braking potential to be fully exploited. To reduce stopping distances to a minimum, the Mégane Sport is equipped with emergency brake assistance with automatic illumination of the hazard warning lights.

The tyres on the Mégane Sport are 225/45 series 17-inch Continental SportContact2. The rubber tread was developed to ensure the transmission of engine output and braking torque to the road surface. The cornering grip of these tyres allows the full potential of the chassis to be exploited while providing the driver with full awareness of its behaviour.

The Mégane Sport is equipped with electric variable assistance steering. The assistance parameters have been recalibrated to ensure an accurate and immediate response to driver input. The calibration of the centre-point detent and the feedback of effort during turn-in to a corner were among the driving fundamentals taken into account during the definition of the assistance parameters. The progressiveness of the assistance, whatever the steering angle, enables the car to be placed with precision. The degree of effort increases with as a function of the car's speed. Equally at ease on the open road or in town, the Mégane Sport has a turning circle of 10.35m.

The Mégane Sport is equipped as standard with Bosch 8.0 ESP with understeer control. A traction control system (ASR) complements these features to ensure good traction whatever the surface or acceleration input. The ASR system can be inhibited below 50km/h, by way of a dashboard switch, when starting from rest on low-grip or uneven surfaces. Reconnection is automatic each time the engine is started or when the speed exceeds 50km/h. Finally, engine torque regulation on overrun (MSR) modulates the torque output to prevent locking of the driven wheels when the accelerator is suddenly released or when decelerating on a low-grip surface.

A lively powertrain at all speeds

The 2.0-litre 16-valve turbocharged engine (F4R) develops power of 165kW at 5,500rpm and maximum torque of 300Nm at 3,000rpm. To provide great flexibility of operation, 90% of this maximum torque is available between 2,000 and 6,000rpm.

The high power and torque outputs were the result of several changes and optimisations carried out on the pistons, the crankshaft and twin scroll type turbocharger. This latter benefits from a special turbine and compressor to improve cylinder filling and reduce response time. The fuel injectors are matched to the greater airflow provided by the turbo. The engine is equipped with a specially developed management computer to optimise ease of operation. A low-inertia twin mass damping flywheel minimises vibration of the gearbox by the crankshaft. This feature improves acoustic performance without penalising pick-up response.

The Mégane Sport engine drives through the six-speed manual gearbox first seen in Mégane II. This Nissan-developed unit is notable for especially precise and fast gearshifting. The special gear ratios improve response in each of the intermediate gears, while fuel consumption and noise levels in highway driving are reduced. This powertrain allows the Mégane Sport to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds.

The 60mm diameter of the exhaust pipe reduces back-pressure and creates a sporty but refined exhaust note.

Interior ergonomics

The driving position of the Mégane Sport has been designed to provide a made-to-measure fit. The steering wheel is perfectly aligned with the centre line of the seat and provides excellent grip. The steering column is adjustable for height and reach through a wide range of movement.

The driver is provided with a large, flat footrest for greater comfort and better location during hard driving. The close grouping and the short movement of accelerator and brake pedals favour heel-and-toe operation.

The front seats of the Mégane Sport provide increased side-ways support at both shoulder and hip level. The density of the foam has been matched to the damping rate of the car and the pronounced curve at the front of the cushion provides good support for the thighs.

Sportiness with safety

The passive safety features of the Mégane Sport are the same as the rest of the Megane II range which includes the first compact hatchback to achieve a maximum five-star rating in the crash tests conducted by the Euro-NCAP organization.

The front, rear and sides of the Mégane Sport absorb the energy associated with impact while preserving the cabin interior. Its structure possesses the ability to absorb and to dissipate large amounts of kinetic energy thanks to the use of new steels and other materials.

An excellent balance between the energy-absorbing ability of the structure and the means of occupant restraint has been achieved. The Mégane Sport is equipped with the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection which has been fitted to all the group's new models since 2001. For the front seats, this system combines double-volume adapative airbags and safety belts with double pretensioners and twin load limiters.

The Mégane Sport is equipped with two thorax side airbags for the front seat occupants. Two curtain airbags provide protection for the heads of both front and rear occupants, whether adults or children. All the airbag operation settings have been modified to match them to the specifications of the car's chassis.

The back seat passengers are provided with 3-point inertia-reel safety belts which also contain load limiters and pyrotechnic pretensioner for the outboard positions.

Vehicle security and immobilisation

The Mégane Sport benefits from all the anti-intruder and vehicle security features seen in Mégane II. The door lock embodies a free-rotating barrel protected by a casing. All the door mechanisms are protected by shields and the faired-in control cables, making it more difficult to hook. The under-bonnet computer is similarly protected and the steering column is equipped with a strengthened anti-theft box.

A deadlocking function allows the interior door handles to be disconnected by pressing twice on the card. This makes it impossible to open the doors even if a window is broken.

The Dieppe plant

Established in 1955, the Dieppe plant has always specialised in the manufacture of low-volume and competition cars. Famous models including the Alpine A110 Berlinettte, the Renault 5 Turbo, the Alpine A610 and the Renault Sport Spider have emerged from this factory.

Today the plant has 420 employees and houses two assembly lines intended for the cars developed by Renault Sport Technologies, with a total maximum daily capacity of 150 units.

The Mégane Sport is assembled on a dedicated line, alongside a second line which produces the Clio Renault Sport 2.0 and V6. The Mégane is assembled using bodies manufactured in the Renault plant at Palencia Spain. The assembly process is based on a modular design approach: the driving position modules and the door panels are directly assembled at Dieppe, while the front section (upper and lower cross members, headlamps) is prepared at Douai.

Specifications

Engine Type		F4R Turbo
	Capacity (cc)	1998
	Bore x stroke (mm)	82.7 x 93
	Number of cylinders	4
	Compression ratio	9
	Total number of valves	16
	Maximum power, kW EC (bhp)	165(225)
	Maximum power, speed (rpm)	5,500
	Maximum torque, Nm	300
	Maximum torque, speed (rpm)	3,000
	Injection type	multipoint
	Fuel	PULP
	Catalytic converter	1 primary converter
	Flywheel	Damping twin mass
Gearbox Type		NDO 000
	Number of forward speeds (kph)	6
	Speed (kph) at 1,000rpm	in 1st	9.07
		in 2nd	14.71
		in 3rd	20.54
		in 4th	27.1
		in 5th	35.33
		in 6th	42.45
Steering
	Power assistance	variable assistance
	Turning circle diameter between kerbs (m)	10.35
	Number of turns lock to lock	2.74
Suspension
	Front: Macpherson type with L-shaped lower arm and independant steering axis
	Rear: Type torsion beam	3
	Anti-roll bar diameter front (mm)	20
Wheels and Tyres
	Standard rims (ins)	7 J 1
	Standard tyres front/rear - Continental ContiSportContact 2 -225/45 R17 94W
Dimensions (mm)
	Wheelbase	2,217
	Overall length	4,228
	Front overhang	857
	Rear overhang	754
	Front track	1,517
	Rear track	1,521
	Overall width
	(body panels & side mouldings)	1,777
	Overall width (with mirrors)	2,026
	Unladen height	1,437
	Unladen height with hatch open	2,007
	Unladen boot sill height	708
	Ground clearance	120
	Front elbow room	1,482
	Rear elbow room	1,456
	Front shoulder room	1,409
	Rear shoulder room	1,380
	Front headroom measured at 14 degrees	885
	Rear headroom measured at 14 degrees	878
	Upper width of boot, maximum	1,070
	Lower width of boot	880
	Inside width between wheel arches	1,125
	Height of rear opening	815
	Maximum loading length
	(with rear seats folded)	1,620
	Boot volume under rear shelf	330
	Boot volume without rear shelf,
	loading to roof	420
	Boot volume with rear seats folded,
	loading to roof	1,190
Brakes
	Type of braking circuit	Double X-circuit
	ABS	BOSCH 8.0
	EBD	Std.
	ESP	Std.
	Servo: single (S), double (D), diameter (")	S-11"
	Front: vent. disc, diameter (mm)	312, 4-pot calipers
	Rear: solid disc, diameter (mm)	300, 1-pot calipers
Performance
	Maximum speed (kph)	236
	0 - 100 kph (sec)	6.5
	400m from rest (sec)	14.6
	1000m from rest (sec)	26.7
Fuel Consumption to ADR 81/01
	Average (l-100km)	8.8
Capacity
	Fuel tank (litres)	60
Weights
	Tare (kg)	1361
Safety Features
	ABS brakes with
	Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)	Std.
	Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)	Std.
	Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)
	with anti-skid (ASR) & Under-steer Control	Std.
	Double optic headlamps	Std.
	Headlamps washers	Std.
	Front fog lamps	Std.
	Door open and fasten seatbelt indicator	Std.
	Driver and front passenger adaptive airbags	Std.
	Front lateral airbags	Std.
	Curtain airbags	Std.
	Programmed Restraint System (PRS)	Std.
	Front/Outer rear seatbelt pretensioners	Std.
	Load force limiters in front safety belts	Std.
	Height adjustable headrests	Std.
	3 rear 3-point lap-sash seatbelts	Std.
	3 height adjustable rear headrests	Std.
	Side impact bars and honey combed
	padding in the doors	Std.
	Fuel cutoff in event of impact	Std.
	Full size spare wheel	Std.
Comfort & Convenience
	Electric front and rear one touch windows	Std.
	Electrochrome rear view mirror	Std.
	Sport front seats	Std.
	Height adjustable driver's seat	Std.
	Height and reach adjustable steering wheel	Std.
	Rain sensitive automatic wipers	Std.
	“See me home” function headlights	Std.
	“Smart” rear wiper	Std.
	Trip computer and outside temp gauge	Std.
	Cruise control with speed limiter	Std.
	Automatic headlamps	Std.
	Variable power assisted steering	Std.
	Central locking with Renault card	Std.
	CD player and radio with 6 speakers
	& fingertip control	Std.
	6-CD in-dash stacker	Option LX Pack
	Climate control air conditioning	Std.
	Pollen filter	Std.
	Front and rear armrests	Std.
	Front underfloor storage	Std.
	60/40 split fold rear seats	Std.
	Driver's seat lumbar adjustment	Std.
	Body coloured electric door mirrors	Std.
	Leather covered steering wheel	Std.
	Leather covered gear knob	Std.
	Illuminated vanity mirrors	Std.
Security Features
	Electronic engine immobiliser	Std.
	Keyless car with Renault card	Std.
	Renault Anti Intruder Device (RAID)
	automatic locking system	Std.
Exterior Features
	Body coloured bumpers	Std.
	Chrome door handles	Std.
	Body coloured electric door mirrors	Std.
	Interated fuel filler cap	Std.
	17" alloy wheels	Std.
	Heat reflective windscreen	Std.
	Panoramic sunroof	Option LX Pack
Trim
	Cloth and leather upholstery	Std.
	Full leather upholstery	Option LX Pack