Hot on the heels of the most extreme production
Mégane yet is a new sporty version for buyers that don't want the extrovert styling and are just as shy about their insurance premiums. The new Mégane is called the GT and is available now in either three or five-door formats.
Prices start at £16,170 for the Mégane Sport Hatch (née three-door) GT 2.0 Turbo 165. That's 165bhp, pushing the Mégane GT to 62mph from rest in a respectable 8.3 seconds, with a top speed of 137mph. Combined Cycle fuel economy for this model is 36.7mpg.
A diesel-powered Mégane GT is also available, powered by a new 150bhp version of the 2-litre dCi unit. Its 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds isn't far off the petrol car's time, but mid-range it should be quicker thanks to a peak torque figure of 251lb.ft available from only 2000rpm. Another bonus is its fuel economy, with a claimed 51.4mpg on the Combined Cycle. The three-door version costs £17,170. Five-door versions cost £500 more.
The Mégane GT gets its own body kit, including spoilers at the front and rear, side skirts and distinctive twin-exit exhausts centrally positioned and surrounded by a metallic plate emblazoned with the 'GT' motif. The suspension sits 10mm lower than standard too.
Inside, sports seats, steering wheel and seat belt continue the sporty theme, while the level of standard equipment is high, including 17-inch alloys, automatic headlamps and wipers, electric heated door mirrors, electric windows all round, ESP with ASR traction control and CSV understeer control.
Renault is pitching the new Mégane GT against the VW Golf GT and Peugeot 307 GT. We'll make that comparison for ourselves when we drive it early next year.
Shane O' Donoghue - 13 Oct 2006