Renault UK Prices New Megane RS From £27,495, Clio RS 18 Is £24,295

The UK market has quite an appetite for hot hatches. Renault, who happens to make some of the best, has just announced pricing for two of its latest.

The new Renault Megane RS arrives in the British Isles priced from £27,495. That places it just slightly up-market from the outgoing Ford Focus ST (£25,760), but below the top Focus RS (£32,795). The pricing also places it just under the VW Golf GTI (£28,205), and well below the Golf R (£31,995) and Honda Civic Type R (£31,525).

For that sum, hot-hatch buyers get a 1.8-liter turbo four rated at 280 horsepower (209 kW) and 288 lb-ft (390 Nm) of torque. All that muscle is channeled to the front wheels through either a manual or a dual-clutch automatic, both with six speeds.

It also features four-wheel steering, and a whole mess of other features that make hot hatches like this one among the quickest in real-world driving situations. 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) is quoted at 5.8 seconds (with either transmission) and top speed at 158 mph (254 km/h) with the manual, or 155 mph (250 km/h) with the DCT.

Of course, there’s a long list of options that can drive the base price even higher for the Megane RS. Chief among them is the Cup Chassis pack, which includes a stiffer suspension and limited slip differential for £1,500 extra.

Special Clio Almost As Expensive As The Megane

Looking for something smaller? Renault has also released UK pricing for the limited-edition Clio RS 18. It’s based on the 220 Trophy model and features styling inspired by Renaultsport’s latest F1 car.

The RS 18 edition packs a 1.6-liter turbo four rated at 220 hp (164 kW) and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) of torque, directed to the front wheels through a six-speed DCT. It’ll run 0-62 in 6.6 seconds and top out at 146 mph (235 km/h).

Renault will only offer 15 of them in the UK at £24,295 a pop. That’s barely £3,000 less than the Megane. Or put another way, it’s nearly £4,000 more than the VW Polo GTI (£20,885.00) or Ford Fiesta ST (~£18,500).