DRIVELIFE
2021 RENAULT MEGANE R.S. Trophy 300 Written by DriveLife online
It’s too easy to forget the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300 when you think of a hot hatch. Others instantly spring to mind, like the VW Golf R, Honda Civic Type R, and Hyundai i30N, with the Megane coming through later as an “oh, and I forgot the Megane R.S.” So then, you have to ask yourself: can the 2021 version of the Megane R.S. Trophy hold a candle to that mainstay that is the Golf R, let alone those cap-on-backwards whippersnappers like the Type R and i30N? Now that we’ve made it to Level 2 of Lockdown, DriveLife spent a week with the 2021 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300. THE RANGE Typing in 2021 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300 every time I want to mention this car is going to get boring, so from here on it’s known as the Megane, or R.S. You get the idea. The ‘300’ part of the name refers to the number of horsepower that this engine makes — an impressive number for an 1800 cc motor. Model choices? Manual or automatic, that’s your choice right there. Yep, there’s just one model of Megane R.S. Trophy available in New Zealand, so that makes your choices lots easier. The manual has 20 less Nm of torque than the automatic, but otherwise all other specs are almost the same, namely
‘4CONTROL’ (four-wheel steering), 19” Jerez R.S. alloy wheels, an integrated 9.3” central touchscreen display, Bose audio system, Cup chassis with four hydraulic compression stops including Torsen limited-slip differential, red brake callipers, custom springs/shock absorbers, Launch Control, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, cruise control/ speed limiter, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, sat nav, electric folding and heated door mirrors, autodown electric windows, dual-zone AC, keyless entry and start, automatic wipers, automatic headlights, an R.S. perforated nappa steering wheel and gear lever knob with R.S. airbag cover, R.S. sports seats with integrated headrests, chrome-plated Renault Sport front door sills, Alcantara
8 CAPRICORN IGNITION NOVEMBER 2021
R.S. black upholstery with red contrast stitching, and a 7” active driver’s display screen. You don’t get Launch Control with the manual version, and it has a manual handbrake. The automatic comes with alloy steering wheel paddles, MultiChange Down (an advanced downshift system), and an electronic parking brake (with Auto-Hold system). Power comes from a 1.8-litre inline fourcylinder petrol engine, which manages an outstanding 221 kW of power and 420 Nm of torque (400 Nm in the manual version). The turbocharger has ceramic ball bearings to help it spin more freely. The automatic gearbox is a 6-speed dual-
