The Renaultsport Megane has joined the rest of the hatchback’s range in getting a mid-life spruce up. And as expected, the upgraded 261bhp powerplant from the eCoty-contending Megane 265 Trophy becomes standard.

The Megane 250 morphs into the Megane 265, then, though the extra 15bhp (up from the 247bhp, or 250PS, of before) isn’t always present. It’s unlocked along with a sportier suspension setup and lower threshold ESP settings via the press of a ‘Renaultsport Dynamic Management’ sport button. Torque also climbs from 251 to 265lb ft. Top speed should be just shy of 160mph, with 0-60mph ticked off in six seconds.

More sound has been yielded via a more open exhaust design while the exterior’s a smidgen louder too, with new LED front lights built into the F1-style grille blade, tweaked headlights and alloy wheels and a new Red Design Pack, which adds a dash of colour to the wheel rims, side skirts and that front blade. There’s also a host of interior options, including a black lacquer finish for the dashboard and new two tone light grey and charcoal leather.

Sales begin in April, with the usual standard and Cup chassis options and a small price increase on the cards. Expect the Renaultsport Megane 265 to kick off below £25K.