Renault Megane RS Ultime 2023 Review

Just 40 examples of the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime are slated for Australia, priced from $67,500 plus on-road costs for the six-speed manual and $70,500 plus ORCs for the six-speed dual-clutch automatic version tested here.

Those 40 are from a total global allocation of 1976, a nod to the year Renault Sport was first formed.

That pricing commands a $4500 premium on the garden-variety Renault Megane RS Trophy on which the Ultime is heavily based, but includes some cosmetic niceties which we’ll detail in the next sections below.

The 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime’s price premium over the standard Trophy nets buyers black 19-inch Fuji Lightweight alloy wheels, high-performance Bridgestone S007 tyres, Recaro bucket front seats, unique exterior decals, blacked-out logos and unique numbered build plates.

Those features are over and above regular items on the Megane RS, which include 19-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry/start, LED headlights and tail-lights and rear privacy glass.

More on the oily bits and the tech inclusions shortly.

The Megane RS is backed by Renault’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia. Servicing will set buyers back $2645 over five years/100,000km, according to the manufacturer – based on slightly longer 12-month/20,000km intervals than the industry norm.

The 2023 Renault Megane RS should be very safe, based on its specification.

Although it goes without an official ANCAP crash rating in Australia, the hot hatch gets front, side and curtain airbags plus a slew of driver assist features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, safe distance warning, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition.

There is also a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring.

The 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime employs the latest infotainment system first introduced to the Megane RS range in 2021.

Essentially you’re getting a 9.3-inch portrait-style touch-screen display with Bluetooth, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, matched by a separate 10.25-inch digital display in the instrument cluster.

No changes have been made to the donor Megane RS Trophy’s 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, meaning the familiar 221kW/400Nm (manual) and 221kW/420Nm (auto) power outputs are maintained in the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime.

Despite the sticky rubber and reduced weight of the wheels and seats, the Ultime shares the regular RS Trophy’s claimed 5.7sec 0-100km/h time and comes with an identical ‘Cup’ chassis set-up, including a divisive four-wheel steering system.

Stopping duties and grip levels are still handled by a set of Brembo bi-material brakes and a Torsen limited-slip differential respectively, while a variable exhaust ensures a healthy note.

Even with its diminutive four-pot engine, the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime isn’t particularly frugal.

Renault claims a combined fuel consumption average of 8.0L/100km using 98 RON premium unleaded, though we saw 10.0L/100km in a mix of conditions, or quickly up to 12.0L/100km in headier driving.

Taking in the 50-litre fuel reserve, it means you’ll likely see 350km to a tank of juice if our driving is anything to go by.

Fun, full of character and raw – the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime is everything a hot hatch ought to be.

The driving experience is heavily dictated by performance, with persistent road noise, rich levels of feedback through the steering wheel, seats, pedals and floor, and a firm yet controlled ride.

All of that is a small price to pay for the go-fast pedigree, however, and the steering is light and outward vision quite clear-cut, too.

The engine and dual-clutch automatic transmission fitted to our test car make an agreeable combination, with none of the low-speed binding and lurching that tends to afflict other rivalling DCT options.

The engine’s peak torque figure from 3200rpm doesn’t really accurately reflect the ease in which the RS Ultime builds momentum in regular conveyance. There’s minimal elasticity in delivery, just linear go-forward and smooth gear changes.

We cannot speak for how the manual version performs but if we had a chance to purchase the Ultime we’d seriously consider one since the auto’s highway gearing is quite short. At highway speed the tacho holds close to 3000rpm, which isn’t great for cabin ambience or fuel efficiency.

That brings us to the headier stuff.

The Renault Megane RS Ultime is indeed one of the last remaining visceral front-drive hot hatches. It digs deep on winding stretches of road to genuinely put a smile on your face.

The 1.8-litre engine belies its small displacement with stirring mid-range performance, revving cleanly to the 6500rpm cut-out and complemented by snaps, crackles and pops during gear changes. It is a lovely aural crescendo, especially in the sportier driving modes.

There is loads of grip afforded by the Bridgestone semi-slick tyres and the chassis feels responsive and taut during changes in direction. Braking performance is likewise sharp and consistent.

The one exception is the four-wheel steering, which makes the car artificially shimmy its way into corners, adding a layer of complexity to a vehicle which is otherwise so distilled in its feedback and tuning.

At first we thought we’d picked up a flat or the Bridgestone rubber had gone off, but nope, it was the four-wheel steering.

A quick visit to the Pheasantwood circuit in Marulan, NSW, only augments our on-road impressions of the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime.

The Ultime is easy to place, razor-sharp and offers oodles of purchase over the front through the facility’s mix of tightening and open-radius bends.

The brakes are once again immune to fade and the drivetrain provides a nice spread of ratios in automatic trim, ample power and terrific feedback and balance.

The four-wheel steering system once again intervenes in an undesired way, putting a limit to the playfulness of the RS chassis and otherwise interrupting a raw and engaging experience.

It means the RS remains at the pointy end of the hot hatch brigade, bested only by the scalpel-like Honda Civic Type R and hugely versatile and riotous Hyundai i30 N.

Forget the perception around French cars, because there is nothing quirky or unresolved around the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime. Well, mostly.

The cabin is practical, relatively roomy (respective of 4.36-metre length) and offers excellent day-to-day amenity for front and rear passengers.

For what it’s worth, it feels special too; certainly more so than many other hot hatches doing the rounds.

We take no issue with the low-set driving position or its reach to the key controls. If anything, the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters fitted to our automatic test car are mounted too high and they are fixed, meaning no commanded gear shifts with steering lock applied.

Similarly, the Alcantara trim fitted to the top of the steering wheel only accommodates outdated ’10 and 2’ steering wheel positioning, not extending as far as the contemporary ‘9 and 3’ now considered the norm.

With that said, there is ample incidental storage, cavernous door pockets and charging points up front – with the exception of a wireless charging pad now commonplace on most modern cars.

The centre touch-screen display is easy to use and navigate, with simple Apple CarPlay functionality and a switch of hard-wired buttons and dials for easy on-the-road access.

The rear seat space is likewise sound, offering dimensions big enough for a couple of adults on moderate journeys, or kiddos (with two ISOFIX attachment points on the outboard pews and three top-tether strap points). Rear air vents and separate charging points seal the deal.

The 434-litre boot area offers space for overnight bags or a couple of full suitcases.

There is no spare wheel, but the space is deep and relatively wide, reaffirming the Megane RS’s potential as an everyday driver.

It’s a sad day for the hot hatch world with the ultimate moving on of Renault’s go-fast hot hatch.

To say the Megane RS is being sent off with a bang with the limited-edition Ultime is a massive overstatement. What we instead have here is the Trophy RS with added visual tinsel and superficial add-ons, plus a requisite pricing premium.

In any case, the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime is fun, potent in the right settings and addictively satisfying.

You cannot help but walk away from it with a massive smile and a sense of sadness all at once – which is arguably the point of the entire exercise.

2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime at a glance:
Price: $70,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 221kW/400Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 182g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

Thank you to Pheasantwood circuit in Marulan, NSW, for helping facilitate our test.