Paris-based Renault will introduce the fourth-generation Mégane station wagon during the upcoming Geneva Auto Show.
Based on the Mégane four-door hatchback that launched late last year, the station wagon — which is dubbed Sport Tourer in Renault-speak — was developed to fight in the same segment as the Peugeot 308 SW and the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen. Up front, styling cues such as sharp headlights, a pair of LED daytime running lights that stretch well into the bumper, and an oversized Renault emblem have been carried over from the hatchback to the wagon.
Moving further back, the Sport Tourer receives a blacked-out D-pillar that makes the roof look like it’s floating, a spoiler attached to the top of the hatch, and thin horizontal tail lamps. When viewed from the back, the Megane Sports Tourer bears more than a passing resemblance to the bigger Talisman Estate that was shown in Frankfurt last September.
Buyers after a sportier-looking Mégane can step up to the GT trim level (pictured). Offered at launch, the GT stands out from the regular Mégane thanks to a bigger air intake up front, a new grille with honeycomb inserts, a pair of chromed tail pipes, and a Formula 1-inspired spoiler. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels and a model-specific paint color called Iron Blue adds a finishing touch to the overall look.
Designers have spent a considerable amount of time making the cabin a more enjoyable place to sit in. Cleaner-looking than ever, the dashboard boasts a tablet-like touch screen that runs the newest version of Renault’s R-Link infotainment system. Other available high-tech features include a digital instrument cluster that can be configured in a variety of different ways, and Renault’s 4Control four-wheel steering technology.
Renault offers the Sport Tourer with a wide palette of gasoline- and diesel-burning engines that range from a 90-horsepower 1.5-liter dCi turbodiesel four-cylinder to a 1.6-liter gasoline-burning four-banger that generates 205 horsepower. The volume engine is Renault’s ubiquitous 110-horsepower turbodiesel. Smaller engines come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, but more powerful units now ship with a dual-clutch automatic, a sign that European motorists are beginning to leave the stickshift behind.
The Renault Megane Sport Tourer will join the hatchback model in European showrooms in the next few months. It might be the final variant of the fourth-generation Megane because the automaker is unlikely to build a replacement for the existing two-door and convertible variants.
