Next Renault Megane leaked

Italian website CarPassion.it has leaked the images of the new-generation Renault Megane ahead of its official launch at next week's Frankfurt motor show.

Although that may be bad news the French car maker's impeccably-planned unveiling schedule, it's good news for the small Euro hatch market that will soon welcome another stylish new entrant.

Little is known about powertrains and chassis specifics – until that gets leaked too – but what's clear from these images is that Renault design chief, Dutch-born Laurens van den Acker, has earned his keep.

The new Megane is both fashionable and sporty yet unlikely to offend more mature buyers looking for a conservative vehicle, thanks to conventional proportions that could pique the interest of a wide range of buyers of anything from the Volkswagen Golf to the Hyundai i30.

Due to arrive in Australia in the first half of 2016, the Megane's front-end takes inspiration from the larger Renault Talisman concept, although the production version of the Laguna replacement is not coming to Australia.

While the Megane's sporty but 'safe' silhouette has been designed with broad-spectrum appeal in mind, smaller details hint at the car's French origins. The model pictured is a GT variant, so it gets sporty body work, a lower ride height and big wheels, but look past these and the car's prominent shoulder line and unorthodox, almost fractal headlight design attract the eye.

The tail-lights provide another bold design flourish and give the rear-end a stylish new look, particularly the way in which the LED lamps flow all the way towards the large central Renault badge.

The leaked images match the recent Renault Megane spy images we published previously and also reveal a little more of the interior, particularly the new instrument panel.

Naturally, it has a stylish, technical look and as we saw from the spy pics the new Megane also features a Tesla-inspired vertical (or portrait) infotainment screen which mimics the layout of a smartphone and should be more intuitive to use as a result.

Based on the new Renault-Nissan CMF-CD platform, which also underpins new European Nissan Pulsar, the Megane can be expected to run a number of engines, including a downsized 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine.

The vehicle pictured has an automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifters, the gearbox likely to be an evolution of the dual-clutch system from the Clio.

Let's not forget there's also an important 2.0-litre turbo model on the cards, the new Renault Megane RS, which could be dubbed the RS 300 if the Renault Sport engineers get their way.

If the new Megane is significantly lighter it may not need more power to find more pace, but whatever eventuates the brand will be keen to continue the model's its reputation as the premier front-drive hot hatch in the segment.

There's a lot riding on the next-generation Megane, the French car-makers answer to the Golf and Ford Focus, chiefly because it's one of the company's best-selling models.

Stay tuned for the full run down from the 2015 Frankfurt motor show from September 15.