Renault Megane Pictures

The Renault Megane was launched in September 2002, and marked a completely fresh start. The two cars bear very little resemblance, the new vehicle having been inspired by the manufacturer's new style first seen in the Avantime. The new Renault Megane was voted European Car of the Year for 2003, fighting off stiff competition from Japan's Mazda 6 and PSA's Citroën C3, and achieved a 5-star safety rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests, the first small family car to do so.

Renault Megane and the Laguna were both showcases for a great deal of innovative technologies Renault launched at the beginning of the 2000s; the Renault Card keyless ignition system, standard on the Renault Megane, was a first in this class and has since been widely adopted. Similarly, the option of a panoramic glass sunroof is another area in which Renault led where others followed.

In Brazil, Renault launched a flex-fuel version, called "Hi-Flex", which is able to run either with unleaded gasoline (petrol) or ethanol. Like the Brazilian Scénic and Clio versions, the Renault Megane's engine can work with any mix of gasoline and ethanol, due to the use of an electronic control module. The flex version has a 16V 109 hp (110 PS) (113 hp (115 PS) with ethanol) 1.6-litre inline-four engine developed and produced in Brazil, but the 2.0-litre version does not allow ethanol use, because its engine is made in France.

As with the previous Renault Megane, the range of models is wide; there is a three and five door hatchback available, named "Sport Hatch" and "Hatch" respectively, there is a 4-door saloon/sedan (Sport Saloon), a five-door estate (Sport Tourer / Grandtour), and to replace both the Renault Megane Coupe and Convertible, a new retractable hardtop coupe designed by Karmann.

Renault Megane Pictures
Renault Megane Pictures
Renault Megane Pictures
Renault Megane Pictures