The Renault Megane was most recently redesigned in 2016. Sportier than ever on the outside, it gained a modern interior with the latest tech and a range of revised engines. Two years have passed since then and Renault finally gave the fourth-generation Megane the long-awaited Trophy treatment.

Crafted by the Renault Sport division, also known as R.S., the new Trophy replaces the R.S. 275 Trophy model that the French firm offered between 2014 and 2017. Naturally, the new Megane Trophy is not only more aggressive on the outside, but it's also more powerful. As usual, it's built on the race-bred Cup chassis, which makes it a road-legal race car. The 275 Trophy-R holds track records for FWD cars on many circuits, including the Nurburgring, Suzuka, and Fuji. Will the new Trophy set new benchmarks? Probably. But until that happens, let's have a closer look at its design and drivetrain in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy.

2018 Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2018 Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 300
  • Torque: 310
  • Transmission: six-speed manual
Pros
Cons

Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy Exterior

- New grille - "R.S." emblem - New bumper - Checkered flag DRLs - Grey side skirts - Black window trim - Two-piece diffuser - Rectangular exhaust pipe - Trademark Liquid Yellow color

As usual, Renault gave the Megane a serious makeover in order to make it look more aggressive. Up front, the headlamps now flank a grille that have a honeycomb mesh instead of horizontal slats and upper trim in gloss black. A small "R.S." emblem was added right below the big Renault logo.

The bumper was redesigned altogether and now features big side vents that include LED daytime running lights in a checkered flag layout, an R.S. trademark for many years. A grey inserts splits the center vent in two, with the lower opening wider than the one above. The bottom of the bumper is shaped like a splitter, but it's not as aggressive as the Megane's race-spec sibling.

Moving onto the sides, we can spot three key changes. The side skirts now feature grey-painted extensions, while the window trim and the mirror caps are finished in black. The hatchback also rides on unique, 19-inch allow wheels. A second, lighter design will be available in 2019. Called "Fuji," these lightweight rollers reduce weight by eight kg (17.6 pounds) compared to the standard rollers.

Around back, the Megane Trophy isn't as aggressive as you'd expect above the bumper. The tailgate carries over unchanged from the regular model, while the roof spoiler received mild revisions. However, the bumper makes a difference by ways of vertical vents at the corner and a two-piece diffuser with a big, rectangular exhaust pipe in the middle.

The car shown here is painted in Liquid Yellow, the brand's iconic hue for R.S. models, but you can pick from the entire Megane palette. Optionally, you can add Trophy stripes to the front bumper.

Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy Interior

- Race-spec steering wheel - Custom cluster graphics - Red highlights - Sports seats - Optional Recaro seats - Alcantara upholstery

While the overall design remained unchanged, it takes just a quick glance to notice that this Megane is far from regular inside the cabin. Once inside, you'll notice the race-spec steering wheel, which features a flat bottom, a red "R.S." badge, a red 12-o'clock mark, and red stitching in the inside. It also has leather grip area and Alcantara lower and upper sections. The instrument cluster behind it also has custom graphics and red markings for a sportier look.

Move toward the passenger side and you'll see more red highlights on the center console and gear shifter, as well as a custom display for the infotainment system. It's here where you can also access the different driving modes through the Multi-Sense system, as well as gain access to the telemetry and data acquisition system, the R.S. Monitor. More red accents can be found on the door panels, alongside gloss-black trim.

The standard front seats were also replaced by sportier units, but the main highlight here are the new Recaro seats. Exclusive to this model, they come wrapped in Alcantara and are position 20 mm (0.8 inches) lower for a sportier experience behind the steering wheel. The shell backrest and integrated headrest have been upgraded to adapt the driving position more precisely. Unfortunately, these seats are optional and will probably cost a pretty penny.

Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy Drivetrain

- New 1.8-lite engine - 300 horsepower - Up to 310 pound-feet - New exhaust system - Stiffer suspension - Four-wheel steering - Brembo brakes - Bridgestone Potenza tires

The new Megane R.S. Trophy comes with a brand-new engine under the hood. The turbocharged, 1.8-liter four-cylinder uses a new turbocharger and exhaust system and delivers a whopping 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. That's the most oomph an R.S. had so far.

There are two transmission choices. You can either go with the traditional six-speed manual or the six-speed EDC automatic. The latter is obviously quicker and gives you access to a bit more torque. Specifically, while the automatic model benefits from 310 pound-feet of twist, the manual is restricted to 295 pound-feet.

The new exhaust system has a mechanical valve that enables engine noise to be adjusted according to needs. When the valve is shut, the silences filters out the low frequencies that cause throbbing noises, making the car more usable for everyday driving. When the valve is open, the reduced flow resistance enables the gases to be routed along a more direct path. That's when the Trophy sounds like a race car. The position of the valve, automatically controlled by the Multi-Sense mode selector.

Built on the Cup chassis, the Trophy has a stiffer suspension setup and a Torsen mechanical, limited-slip differential. It also rides on 25-percent firmer shock absorbers, 30-percent tighter springs, and 10-percent stiffer anti-roll bars.

For the first time ever, the Trophy uses a four-wheel steering system, which improves agility and cornering stability. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels, improving handling. At high speeds, the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction, meaning the rear wheels are perfectly aligned, increasing stability.

Stopping power comes from bi-material brake discs as standard. These are lighter and deliver greater heat dissipation, thus reducing brake fade. Brembo calipers are fitted at all four corners. The standard wheels are wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires, while the optional "Fuji" rollers will come with grippier Potenza S007 rubber. Specifically developed for this model, the latter provides the R.S. Trophy with even more direct steering, increased cornering grip, and greater durability for track driving.

Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy Prices

Pricing information is not yet available, but the new R.S. Trophy model should be a bit more expensive than the outgoing R.S. 275 Trophy. The latter retailed from around €40,000 in France, so expect the redesigned version to fetch more than that. With Renault not selling cars in the U.S., don't expect this hot-hatchback to cross the pond to North America.

Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy Competition

Honda Civic Type R

The Civic Type R is the archrival of the Megane R.S. Trophy, particularly because Honda and Renault are fighting a record war on the Nurburgring and other racing circuits around Europe. The two are still fighting each other for the front-wheel-drive benchmark on the Green Hell and Renault recently announced plans to crash Honda's record world tour, which already includes records at Magny-Cours and Spa. The latest Civic Type R broke cover for the 2017 model year, and it looks damn aggressive on the outside. The Japanese hatch is no slouch either, sucking 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The power travels to the wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, sending the Type R flying from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. Pricing for the Civic Type R starts from €39,880 in Europe. Unlike the Megane R.S. Trophy, the Honda is also available in the United States.

Read our full review of the 2017 Honda Civic Type R.

Seat Leon Cupra

While it's identical to the Volkswagen Golf R under the skin, I've picked the Leon Cupra for this comparison because it has a more aggressive design on the outside. While the Golf looks rather bland, the Leon Cupra looks sexier from every angle and those copper highlights on the bumpers, mirror caps, and wheels give it an exotic appearance. The Cupra also has what it takes to take on the Megane R.S. Trophy performance-wise, as its 2.0-liter four-cylinder cranks up to 310 horsepower with the manual transmission and 300 horses with the DSG automatic. The sprint to 60 mph takes only 5.5 seconds, two tenths quicker than the Civic Type R thanks to its 4Drive all-wheel-drive system. Priced from €35,895, the Leon Cupra is a bit more affordable than the competition.

Read our full story in the 2018 Seat Leon Cupra R.

Ford Focus RS

The Focus RS is arguably the most impressive hot-hatchback on the market. Not only does it look like it's been designed for the World Rally Championship, but it also comes with a significantly more powerful engine under the hood. The interior is pretty hot too, especially if you go with the optional, signature RS Recoro seats, alloy sports pedals, and the additional instrument cluster sitting on top of the center console. Power is provided by the same 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine from the Ford Mustang. The Euro-spec Focus RS is not as powerful as the 350-horsepower U.S. model, but it's still the best in the game with an output of 245 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of twist. It also uses an all-wheel-drive system, which enables it to hit 60 mph from a standing start in a scant 4.7 seconds. The Focus RS could become even more powerful in 2019 when Ford is rumored to launch a mild hybrid version. Pricing starts at €40,975. The Focus RS is available in the United States too.

Read our full review of the 2018 Ford Focus RS.

Conclusion

While most of Renault's road-going cars are of the affordable and boring variety, the R.S. division has developed some outstanding vehicles in recent years. The new Megane Trophy is the hottest Renault Sport vehicle yet and one of the very few hatchbacks that come close to the Ford Focus RS. Unfortunately, it still doesn't have all-wheel drive, but the new engine and the four-wheel steering system should make it as fun as they get on the race track. Too bad we won't see this hatch battle it out with the Honda Civic Type R in the United States anytime soon.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2014 Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy.

Read our full review on the 2018 Renault Megane RS.

Read our full review on the 2016 Renault Megane GT.

Read our full review on the 2017 Renault Megane Sedan.

Read more Renault news.