Renault hottie on sale

Australia's hot hatch fans rejoice -- the choice of Gendarmes and French boy-racers alike, the all-new Renault Sport Mégane RS 250 is in dealers Down Under at last.

Launched this week in Melbourne, the new RS is the flagship of the updated Renault range. Debuted alongside the new Mégane five-door hatch and Fluence sedan, the new Renault Sport will be offered in Cup and Cup Trophée variants. The vehicle is available in a single three-door coupe-cum-hatch body style only.

The new RS is powered by a 184kW/340Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. No auto or dual clutch variant is offered. Though Renault sources admit the carmaker does have a sequential offering on the way, it's not clear when the update will surface. One pick is at the car's midlife facelift due late 2011 or early 2012.

Also high on the RS 250's spec list is a mechanical limited-slip differential and oversized Brembo brakes.

As part of its brand relaunch Renault Australia has simplified its model lineups and boosted standard specifications across board. Already well equipped in its outgoing Mégane F1 Team R26 limited edition guise, the new RS benefits less from this policy than cooking model Méganes.

The Mégane Renault Sport 250 Cup is priced from $41,990. Included in its standard specification are Sports antilock brakes and stepped stability control, headlight washers, LED daylight running lamps, 18-inch alloys, sports seats, auto lights and wipers, dual-zone climate aircon, foglights, electric window and mirrors, cruise control with speed limiter, USB interface and streaming Bluetooth audio and hands-free and rear park sensors.

Though satnav is not available, a multi-function RS Monitor Display allows users to measure a number of performance parameters including laptimes. The system also incorporates Renault Sport Dynamic Management system which allows the driver to choose the degree of electronic intervention from the stability control system as well as 'tuning' the throttle mapping.

Unlike most cooking model Renaults, the RS 250 allows the complete disconnection of the stability control for racetrack use.

Attracting a $5000 premium, the Cup Trophee adds keyless entry and start, 19-inch alloys (though 18-inch wheels can still be specified at no added cost), tyre pressure monitoring system, height adjustable Recaro front seats and more.

Options across the RS 250 range include leather upholstery, front park sensors and Bi-Xenon headlamps.

Aside from the wheel sizes and designs, the Cup and Cup Trophee can be told apart by the colour coding of front bumper facing and rear diffuser-style valance. In the Cup the elements are black, while the Trophee gets gloss gunmetal finishes.

Read our launch review of the Renault Sport Mégane RS 250.

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