New £29k hot hatch takes on Civic Type R

New hot hatch from Renault Sport has some big shoes to ll. Can it improve on the driver appeal of its predecessor? On sale June Price from £29,000 (est)

RENAULT MUST HAVE a fair idea what Francis Ford Coppola felt like when making The Godfather Part II. Or the pressure Radiohead were under when writing the follow-up to OK Computer. Yep, in the world of hot hatchbacks, the recently departed Mégane RS was one of the best ever. So, Renault’s job of producing its successor must have been daunting.

And here it is: the new Mégane RS, a car not with only big boots to fill but also some talented rivals vying for its blood. The Honda Civic Type R, our 2018 Hot Hatch of the Year, is at the front of that queue, but Renault’s new flagship also needs to face down the Ford Focus RS and Hyundai i30n.

Prefer your hot hatches fast and fun yet still easy to live with? The regular (or Sport) version of the Mégane RS is aimed at you. But if you think hot hatches should be about maximum thrills, whatever the consequences, then the stiffer, more focused Cup model will appeal.

But before we get on to the differences in the range, let’s deal with the one constant: the 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine. In effect, it’s the same one that powers the Alpine A110

The RS’S steering wheel is a mix of leather and suede, while red stitching and carbon bre give the interior a sporty feel