SPY PICS: Renault Megane goes high-tech

New images of the upcoming fourth-generation Renault Megane have been snapped in Europe, revealing far more about the exterior and the interior design than ever before.

Although there's plenty of tape seemingly randomly placed around the Renault Megane, the headlight and brake lights are almost completely undisguised, revealing the new design is much closer to the smaller Renault Clio hatch and Captur SUV.

The headlights appear to give the vehicle a more assertive stance while brake lights ensure a modicum of French flair remains in the design.

The exterior design adheres to Laurens van den Acker's design ethos, who promises a "sensual" style. Nevertheless, the Renault design chief's more design gives the vehicle a more conservative overall looks, and a direct line of attack towards its competitors including the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.

Although there's still plenty of camouflage on the test vehicle, it's clear this vehicle is a sportier proposition. The mid-spec model features large wheels, a sporty front fascia and side skirts. However it's not a hard core RS model, based on the tiny pea-shooter exhaust at the rear. More likely is that it's powered by the company's 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine.

There's also a sole image of the interior, which the photographer appears to have struggled to snap, but there's enough visible to confirm a much larger touchscreen that's mounted in the portrait or vertical position. The large screen's vertical arrangement follows in the footsteps of vehicles such as the Tesla Model X and Volvo XC90, adding a premium feel to the interior.

Riding on the CMF-CD platform, the same underpinnings as the new European Nissan Pulsar, the new Megane is almost ready to pop and will be at the 2015 Frankfurt motor show in mid-September.

Its Australian arrival is scheduled for the first half of 2016 and you can bet your bottom dollar there'll be a high-octane Megane RS 300 version to arrive potentially a year later at the 2016 Paris motor show.