KUALA LUMPUR: The 2019 Renault Megane RS 280 CUP has been launched by TC Euro Cars (TCEC), and is offered with a six-speed automatic Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) transmission (AT) in addition to the customary six-speed manual transmission (MT).

It is priced from RM279,888 (manual) and RM299,888 (auto) while in duty-free Langkawi, the prices are from RM149,888 (manual) and RM159,888 (auto).

Prices are on-the-road inclusive of SST, without insurance and the Megane RS 280 CUP comes with a three-year or 100,000km warranty (whichever is first).

For Malaysia, the Megane RS is available with the CUP chassis, which incorporates a new Torsen mechanical and limited-slip differential for improved handling during acceleration as well as deceleration.

The Megane RS 280 CUP is available in four colour options – Diamond Black, Pearl White (additional RM1,000) and the signature Liquid Yellow or Orange Tonic (additional RM8,000).

Test drives are available at selected Renault showrooms by appointments only and can be requested via the Renault Malaysia website.



The new high-performance hatchback gets a 4CONTROL four-wheel steering system – Renault’s world first-in-segment technology that improves cornering efficiency.

The system automatically adjusts the rear wheels to point in the same direction as the front wheels up to one degree at higher speeds and in the opposite direction up to 2.7 degrees at lower speeds.

This switchover point is set at 60 km/h or 100 km/h in Race mode.

Another new feature is the addition of four hydraulic compression stops, a rallying-inspired technology, to all shock absorbers.

In addition to improving the comfort of the suspension during everyday use, these hydraulic bump stops also filter out disruptions when adopting a sportier driving style, providing additional damping and eliminating the effects of rebound, which enables optimum control of tyre-ground contact.



The wizards at Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing have also worked their magic on the new four-cylinder 1.8-litre turbo engine by redesigning the cylinder head as well as integrating a new cooling system, an additional twin air inlet to the turbocharger and a chain-driven timing system.

The engine now delivers 280PS and peak torque of 390Nm – one of the best in class.

The 0-100 km/h sprint is achieved in 5.8 seconds with a top speed of 255 km/h (250 km/h for the AT).

Another new feature is the five-door configuration, instead of the previous three-door version.



Like racing cars, the EDC gearbox comes with steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles. The gearshift times depend on which MULTI-SENSE mode is selected:

Comfort and Normal: smooth gear changes, without any jerking;
Sport: quicker gear changes with amplified engine noise;
Race: efficiency with no compromise on comfort, with even quicker gear changes.
In Sport and Race modes, the EDC gearbox also has the following functions:

Multi-Change Down: under braking in manual mode, this feature lets the driver drop several gears simultaneously by pressing and holding down the left-hand paddle. The best gear is then selected to exit the corner as efficiently as possible.
Launch Control: the clutch and turbo are pre-loaded, enabling a standing start that is just as quick as in a racing car. In Sport mode, traction control provides the driver with additional support in finding the best possible grip in slippery conditions.



The Megane RS uses an independent steering-axis front suspension and gets bigger front brake discs, and a revised RS Monitor onboard telemetry and data acquisition system that summarises information from forty or so sensors spread around the car, displayed on the 8.7-inch R-LINK 2 touchscreen tablet.

The wings have been widened by 60mm at the front and 45mm at the back. Ride height has been lowered by 5mm and there are new 19-inch wheels.

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