Renault Megane RS to be discontinued by finish of 2023, petrol-powered sizzling hatch to make method for pure EV

The writing is on the wall for the Renault Megane RS, because the French carmaker’s efficiency hatchback has been given little greater than a yr earlier than it’s discontinued, Australian web site Drive has reported.

The high-performance hatchback will proceed to be produced in 2023 and can nonetheless be offered in markets akin to Australia, nevertheless its manufacturing is ready to finish earlier than the tip of the yr, Renault Australia instructed Drive.

“[The Megane RS] received’t proceed past the tip of subsequent yr. The demand for a sizzling hatch in Europe is waning [because] that may be changed with an electrical automotive, and it makes widespread sense to modify throughout [to EVs],” Renault Australia Glen Sealey instructed the publication.

Succeeding the Megane RS would be the Megane E-Tech Electrical, a completely electrical mannequin primarily based on the CMF-EV platform that additionally underpins the Nissan Ariya. The place the E-Tech Electrical is anxious, essentially the most pure rivals ought to be from Volkswagen, stated Sealey, which factors to the German model’s ID vary of pure EV fashions such because the ID.3 and ID.4.

The present-generation Megane RS made its debut in September 2017 and is predicated on the fourth-generation Megane hatchback, bringing the added alternative of a dual-clutch automated transmission to affix the historically obtainable three-pedal six-speed guide gearbox, together with the 4Control rear-wheel steer system.

Its 1.8 litre displacement of the turbocharged inline-four petrol was down from the two.0 litre capability of its predecessors, although it managed to make output positive factors to 279 PS and 390 Nm in debut guise.

Later in its lifecycle, the facelift introduced the RS 300 model with an uprated energy output to 300 PS as its identify indicated, and as much as 420 Nm with the EDC dual-clutch automated (400 Nm on the six-speed guide). For Malaysia, this facelift arrived in Trophy guise in March 2021 with a value of RM326k on the time.

GALLERY: 2021 Renault Megane RS 300 Trophy facelift in Malaysia