Renault Mégane Hatch Sport Edition

Renault Australia has launched a limited edition Mégane hatch that adds almost $2000 of extras to the car, including big alloy wheels and parking sensors.

Hoping to glean a little razzle dazzle off the back of the Megane RS250, the Renault Mégane Hatch Sport Edition is a more affordable proposition priced at $23,990 for the manual and $25,990 for the CVT automatic. Though the five-door hatchback is $1000 more than the entry-level Mégane hatch, Renault reckons it adds $1800 worth of added value. And the new limited edition variants introduce a new colour to the range, Prussian Blue.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre petrol engine (103kW/195Nm) and the Sport Edition is based on the entry-level Dynamique grade, which includes things like cruise control and Bluetooth audio/phone streaming. The Sport Edition brings a number of extras to the table, such as LED daytime running lamps, rear privacy glass, rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels and limited edition trimmings.

For our small car mega test earlier this year the Renault Mégane was one of the surprise performers, finishing in third place and besting more fancied rivals.

Managing Director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, said the new Sport Edition Mégane delivers improved value for small car customers.

"We are continuing our strategy of creating exceptional value for our customers, which was so successful for us in 2011. We anticipate a high demand for our Sports Edition so I would encourage customers to visit their local dealership without delay," said Mr Hocevar.

Just 115 Mégane Hatch Sport Editions have been imported to Australia.

While the Mégane range is currently Renault Australia's best seller, accounting for 38.6 per cent of all sales in 2012, it has sold just 481 units in 2012 to the end of June. The highest selling small car in the segment is the Mazda3, which has sold 21,813 in the same period and was Australia's best-selling car in 2011.

Renault is continuing to rebuild its brand in Australia and while the Mégane is currently its cash cow, the all-new Clio 4 is expected to eclipse it as Renault's top seller due to an expected sub $20k price. The importer anticipates the new Clio will play a large role in turning around the company's fortunes when it arrives in mid 2013.

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