Renault is taking on family wagons such as the Ford Focus Estate , Seat Leon ST and VW Golf Estate with this, the new Megane Sport Tourer.
with this, the new Megane Sport Tourer. Now, the car's been revealed in the metal at the Geneva Motor Show. First sales of the Megane estate should start in the autumn.
This more practical Meganeis set to build on the dramatic overhaul that’s just been completed by Renault’s chief designer Laurens van den Acker on the fourth generation of the conventional five-door hatchback.
The oversized diamond badge and LED daytime running lights are carried over, as is the hatchback’s complex rear-end treatment, which features a strip of LEDs between the tail-lights. However, the estate gets an extended rear overhang in a bid to boost boot capacity to around 1,600 litres with the back seats folded down.
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Renault hasn’t resorted to extending the Sport Tourer’s wheelbase over the hatch model’s, but the fact that the Megane is one of the wider cars in its class should give it a reasonably athletic stance. That width could also help the interior, freeing up space across the rear row of three seats. The cabin will have the hatchback’s 8.7-inch portrait-layout touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard, plus the option of a head-up instrument display for the driver.
The engine line-up will follow that of the Megane hatchback. Renault has yet to decide which of that car’s motors it’ll bring to the UK – it’s not due on sale until this summer – but we expect the range to feature 1.2 and 1.6-litre turbocharged petrols, and 1.5 and 1.6-litre turbodiesels. The estate is also likely to get the 1.5-litre diesel hybrid that’s due in 2017 with CO2 emissions of less than 80g/km.
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The range-topper will be badged GT and will have either a 202bhp petrol engine or a 163bhp diesel, a dual-clutch automatic transmission and firmer suspension. Renault has also announced that the Megane Sport Tourer will be the first C-segment estate to feature four-wheel-steering. Renault's 4CONTROL system will be available on the car to boost low speed manoeuvrability as well as handling precision at higher speeds.
Renault is also said to be considering allowing its Renaultsport performance division loose on a full-blown 300bhp version of the Sport Tourer, which would be a rival for the Golf Rand Focus STestates. However, it’s some way off even if it does get the green light; it’ll have to wait until the hardcore Renaultsport version of the Megane hatchback arrives first, and that’s not due until late 2017 or early 2018.
Mainstream Megane Sport Tourers are likely to match the pricing of the outgoing editions, with a starting figure of around £18,500.
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