Review of the new Renault Megane RenaultSport 225

Since the hot hatch genre was coined by the likes of Volkswagen's Golf GTi and Peugeot's 205 GTi in the 70s and 80s, changes have been afoot in the marketplace. Old Father Time has taken his toll on the boy-racers whose enthusiasm fuelled the hot hatch boom. Now those same spotty tearaways have mortgages and tiny tearaways of their own. They need a car that's more sophisticated and less 'Go-Kart', but still one possessing the wherewithal to position a big grin on their faces. Something like the Renault Megane Renaultsport perhaps.

Today, the term 'hot hatch' can refer to anything from a minuscule city scoot with a spoiler to a family-sized performance car with a six-cylinder engine and a £20,000 price tag. The Megane Renaultsport slots unashamedly into the top end of that category. Renault will point customers wanting unadulterated, hot hatchback thrills in the direction of the Clio Renaultsport 197 but the Megane takes a more understated tack, although you wouldn't necessarily know it from the 225bhp output and the sprint to 60mph time of 6.5s.

Even when compared to the elite performance hatchbacks in a similar price range, the cars Renault identified as benchmarks when creating this flagship model, the Megane Renaultsport 225 has a reserved air, a certain class. The styling is very much a progression from mainstream Megane models but with some obvious differences to highlight the range-topper's pedigree. The outboard front fog lights are an original touch and the gaping intake between them informs the general public that there's a real heavy breather hiding under the bonnet. The wheel arches flare appropriately to accommodate 18-inch alloy wheels and side skirts make the car look lower in profile. You can, of course, get a more flamboyant fast Megane in the shape of the Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26.

The Megane's trademark rear has been tastefully altered by Renaultsport badging, a small spoiler and twin exhaust pipes one either side of a central dividing column. Where other manufacturers have gone all-out to emphasise their most powerful hatchback's sporting bloodline by bolting on all manner of go-faster accoutrements, Renault have kept it simple but effective, the 225 clearly a full-blooded version of the current facelifted Megane with its sleeker elongated headlamps and 'V'-shaped grille. Perhaps this is a product of the view that since the standard Megane is already the most visually distinctive car in its class, the usual headline-grabbing enhancements are not really necessary.

"The Megane Renaultsport is one of the fastest hatchbacks you can currently buy but you're getting more for your £20,000."

Inside, it's a similar story with the quick Megane packing in class-leading levels of equipment and resisting the urge to go too far down the road toward sporty excess. Branded bucket seats and steering wheels are out as is alcantara and carbon fibre-effect trim. Aluminium is restricted to the pedals and you'll have your feet on those. What you do get is lots of stitched leather, sturdily crafted seats that support comfortably without necessitating a winch to hoist yourself out and colour coded seatbelts. Otherwise, things are much as you'd find in a well-equipped non-Renaultsport Megane. Cruise control, air-conditioning, a speed limiter and a 6-disc CD multi-changer feature amongst the most notable gadgets and safety provision is top-notch with umpteen airbags included.

Renault identified the Focus RS and the Mk IV Golf R32 as benchmark cars when creating the Megane Renaultsport. Production of both was ceased well before the Megane hit the streets but if you step from these or other 'super hatches' into the suave Renault, you will notice some key differences. Whereas the juddering ride in the Ford or the Volkswagen would soon have your fillings, your toupee and your glass eye all rattling around in the footwell, the Renault is surprisingly smooth. Sure, you can feel the ruts and peaks in the road surface but you want that in a performance car. It's just that longer journeys in the Renault are far less of a daunting prospect. To achieve this balance, Renault created a special front suspension system with an independent steering axis and stiffened the rear suspension set-up found on the standard Megane.

The steering is well weighted and the car turns into corners eagerly. There's little sign of the uneven weight distribution or sketchy traction that can plague powerful front-wheel-drive cars with front mounted engines. Don't expect to gain the same level of driver involvement as in some more raw-edged competitors but the Megane feels composed, fast and fun on the kinds of journeys buyers are likely to encounter. There's also the excellent Cup chassis option that firms things up nicely transforming the driving experience.

The engine is obviously a key part of this and in the Megane Renaultsport's case, we're talking about a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with 225bhp. The power delivery is smooth with the 300Nm maximum swell of torque hitting the road at 3,000rpm and the full power arriving at 5,500rpm. More useful in assessing the car's overall character is the fact that well over 250Nm of torque is being produced from as low as 2,000 all the way up to 6,000rpm. This creates a high level of flexibility and coupled with the absence of any serious turbo lag, it means that there's power instantly available in most gears at most engine speeds. The 32mph average fuel consumption is very impressive in a vehicle with this rarefied level of performance.

The deep engine note is not as raucous as some but it grows increasingly purposeful at higher revs without being intrusive inside the cab while idling. The gearchange is as you would find in a conventional Megane, fine for a family hatchback but lacking the positivity you want in a performance car. The gear stick itself seems a little over long too.

The Megane Renaultsport is one of the fastest hatchbacks you can currently buy but you're getting more for your £20,000 than a jaw-droppingly rapid point-to-point machine. In fact, if you want the fastest, purest drive there are better alternatives - including the Cup and F1 versions of this car. What the Megane 225 does is step back slightly from the hard edge of hot hatch design with more comfort, refinement and inconspicuous luxury than competitors. It's a more complete all-round package that remains rewarding on a basic level as a driver's car. It's certain to be fast enough for most and the discreetly slick styling should avoid unwanted attention from your local constabulary.