On the European continent there are few cars as appealing as the ones manufactured by Renault. The French are enjoying a great deal of success, despite the bad exposure brought upon them by the tumultuous events over at Alliance partner Nissan in the past couple of years.

One of the cars that have formed for ages the backbone of the Renault lineup, and which alongside the Clio is responsible for the bulk of sales, is the Megane.
The nameplate was introduced in 1995 as a small family car, but has grown since into something else entirely. The lifespan of the car is divided into four generations, the last of which saw daylight in 2016.
At the beginning of 2020, out of the blue and probably fueled by the need to add more eco-friendly powertrains to the range – the addition of a plug-in hybrid is the biggest development - Renault showed for the first time the facelift version of the Megane.

Visually, the 2021 Megane has not changed much, and it didn’t even have to. Its design is as contemporary as it gets, so there was little to be done to improve its looks before the arrival of the fifth generation.
Still, the carmaker’s designers toyed a bit with the new version and redrew the front bumper, air deflectors, and wings. They did so subtly, but not so subtle as to make spotting the differences impossible.
The biggest change in terms of overall look is the addition of new Pure Vision LED headlamps. They replace the existing halogen lights and promise to bring 30 percent more visibility.
Also, three new colors have been added to the available palette (Solar Copper, Baltic Grey and Highland Grey). For the first time in the Megane range, there will be an RS Line variant, which will be replacing the GT line.

The changes at the interior are centered around a revised and more up-to-date cockpit. The most important novelty is the introduction of a digital dashboard, complete with satellite navigation. Additionally, an updated look was given to the center console and the controls fitted on it.
There is also a new upholstery option, available from the second trim level, and power adjustment controls have been added for the driver seat.
As far as luggage space is concerned, there are 434 liters of space in the trunk, but that can be increased to 1,247 liters when the rear bench is folded.

There are three versions of the Easy Link infotainment system available for the Megane. The entry-level is based on a 7-inch screen, followed by a slightly more complex 7-inch with integrated satellite navigation, and a 9-inch vertical tablet. All screens are Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible.
Complementing the screens of the infotainment system is the new digital dashboard that uses a 10.2-inch screen.
Renault worked a bit on the Easy Link itself as well, giving it a new interface. Separately, the MY Renault smartphone app allows control over some of the car’s features in addition to aids like vehicle location, remote locking and unlocking, and remote activation of lights and horn.

As it will probably do in the coming generations, the facelift Megane remains ICE-based. Even so, the French introduced for the first time a plug-in hybrid to the range, hoping to bring down fleet-wide emissions.
On the gasoline front, powerplants rely mostly on the 1.3 TCe that comes in three power configuration (115, 140, 160 hp). By the end of the year, a 1.0-liter with 120 hp will be added.
Diesel is still present in the Megane family thanks to the Blue dCi with two power outputs, 95 and 115 hp.
The top of the range Megane RS will from now on share the same engine with the RS Trophy. That means a 1.8 turbo that develops 300 hp and 420 Nm of torque (with an EDC gearbox).
The star of the lineup is however the new E-Tech plug-in. To be launched at first on the Estate Megane and later on the hatchback, it pairs a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with a 9.8 kWh battery and two electric motors. Cranking out 160 hp, the PHEV can drive in all-electric mode for 50 km (31 miles, WLTP mixed cycle), and at speeds that could reach 135 kph (84 mph).

Apart from the usual and mandatory safety systems such as airbags and seatbelts, the new Megane is packed with driver assistance systems. They range from emergency braking to lane departure warning, from blind-spot warning to driver drowsiness detection.
New to the range of ADAS technologies are the motorway and traffic assistant.

In Europe, which is Megane’s main market, the car constantly sells over 100,000 units each year. Globally, the nameplate sold over 7 million units since its introduction, and given the industry is packed with hatchbacks, that says a lot.
The refreshed version of the Megane goes on sale in the summer of 2020.