BEST HOT HATCHES FOR 2017

New Mégane RS leads an army of thrilling new stars

ONE of the most important and eagerly anticipated hot hatch arrivals in 2017 is the next-generation Renaultsport Mégane, which will make its global debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Work on the Mégane RS – previewed by our exclusive main image – started in tandem with the standard hatch in a bid to maximise development time. It will follow the Hyundai i30 N (Page 6) and Honda Civic Type R to the market, but more than match them when it comes to performance.

It’s possible that Renaultsport could pluck the new 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo from the Alpine A110 as a replacement for the existing 2.0-litre turbo in the Mégane RS. The new motor develops 249bhp and 320Nm of torque in the Alpine, but Renaultsport boss Patrice Ratti has previously touted a figure of around 300bhp for the fast Mégane.

The hatch will also remain front-wheel drive, so an attempt to reclaim the lap record for a front-driven car – currently held by the latest Civic Type R – at Germany’s Nürburgring race track will also be made. Another new addition will be the EDC dual-clutch automatic gearbox from the Clio RS. Ratti told us that this is designed to satisfy markets such as Japan and Australia; a six-speed manual box will be offered in the UK.

To boost agility on the road, a rearwheel-steering system should also feature on the Mégane RS. A similar set-up already exists on the Mégane GT – currently the hottest model in the range – and is designed to boost mobility at low speed and stability at high speed.

Prototypes spotted undergoing development testing have also revealed a beefier braking system and lowered ride thanks to a new suspension set-up. Adjustable dampers should appear, too.

Our image gives you an indication of what the production version will look like when the covers come off in September. Stripped-out Trophy and Trophy R models will follow.

Hatch revealed in September Could use tuned Alpine turbo