SPY PICS: Renault shows Megane intent

What you are seeing here is not a two-man tent on wheels, but a rolling three-door version of the five-door Renault Megane III hatch originally photographed by spy cameramen Carparazzi in February this year (more here).

With its general shape is suggested by the gullwing-doored Altica show car that did the rounds a couple of years ago, the Megane III hatch dispenses with controversial rear-end styling in favour of a more conventional but presumably aesthetically appealing profile.

As we have suggested before, the next generation Renault will challenge the likes of VW Golf, Peugeot 308 and Fiat Bravo and will be available in an almost-bewildering range of variants including sedan, coupe, convertible, wagon and five and three-door hatchbacks as shown here.

The Megane III will use the same platform as already seen on the Nissan Dualis, so there’s a chance of an all-wheel drive SUV version as well.

The canvas disguise is effective enough to hide all but the general shape of the new Megane three-door, from the longer front doors to the more conventional rear end with its horizontal, high-mounted tail lights. The rear window shows signs of the V-shape preferred by most small hatches these days, although Renault is so modest about revealing what is underneath that it is hard to be certain. What is certain is that the near-vertical, panoramic wraparound rear window of the current hatch is nowhere to be seen.

The engine lineup is expected to echo that of the current range available in Australia, including the normally aspirated and turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engines and the upcoming 2.0-litre turbodiesel that will arrive here in the RenaultSport Megane from October.

The Megane III is expected to be launched in Europe during 2009, with Australian supplies presumably becoming available some time later.

-- with Carparazzi