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Renault Mégane RS (2017-2022) review – design

Renault’s big investment in this generation can be seen in its almost completely bespoke body

Evo rating
Price
from £27,495
  • Willing and enthusiastic engine; EDC transmission not the weak link it could have been
  • Still lacks that last ounce of cohesion and engagement; feels like Renault’s moved on symbolically

Design trends come and go, but proportions are timeless, something the current Mégane RS makes excellent use of. When development commenced on this generation of RS, Renault Sport’s insistence on a wider rear axle came with the huge expense of giving it its own bespoke body-in-white.

It’s this foundation that Renault’s designers have capitalised on in what has long been, and remains, the best looking hot hatchback on sale. In contrast to most, if not all its main rivals, the RS has a brilliant flared stance that’s nowhere more evident than the rear end, accentuated by its near full-width rear lights and crisp signature. While you’re back there, the bulbous proportions are given plenty of welcome garnish with a (supposedly) functional rear diffuser and a central exhaust outlet.

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The effect is no less dramatic up front, which too is dominated by flared arches, this time covering the wider front track. Slick LED headlights and those curious chequered-flag daytime running lights complete the lighting up front, while three attractive wheel designs and a good range of colours complete the package.

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