Renault has reportedly concluded production of the ICE-powered Megane, giving way to the fully electric Megane E-Tech crossover. This would mark the end of the compact series after 27 years and four generations since the nameplate was introduced back in 1996 replacing the 19.
The small family model has been offered in a variety of bodystyles throughout its lifetime, including traditional three and five-door hatchback, four-door sedan, coupe, coupe-convertible and station-wagon forms, alongside the performance-focused R.S. models.
Autocar reports that production lines of the Megane in Spain and in Turkey have stopped making new cars, even though Renault has yet to confirm. Another contradicting factor is that Turkish company Karsan was planning a five-year-long production of the Megane sedan in Turkey starting from September 2022, taking the reigns from Oyak Renault after reaching to an agreement last year.
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In any case, even if the report about the death of the ICE-powered Megane is true, the compact model is expected to remain available in several markets as long as the current stock lasts. Last month, Renault launched a series of E-Tech engineered special editions of its hybrid models in France, including the good-old Megane in hatchback and estate flavours.
Interestingly, CarExpert talked with Renault Australia, confirming that the Megane R.S. will continue to be offered in limited numbers into 2023. Mind you, the French hot hatch is the last of its kind, since the famed RenaultSport division has been rebranded to Alpine, which is scheduled to become an all-electric brand.
Sales of the Renault Megane were declining against more popular rivals in the C-Segment including the VW Golf, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Peugeot 308 and Opel Astra. According to Autocar, last year Renault sold 793 units of the hybrid-only Megane in the UK, compared to 30,200 VW Golfs and 21,800 Ford Focus. Global sales of the fourth-gen Renault Megane peaked at 168,000 units in 2017, before declining to a less impressive 70,000 in 2021, while the most successful year for the nameplate was 2004, with 465,778 sales.
The Renault Megane E-Tech will serve as a replacement for the discontinued model, adopting a crossover stance with a fully electric powertrain thanks to the CMF-EV platform that is shared with the Nissan Ariya. In 2024, Renault will also unveil the production version of the Scenic that will be exclusively offered in EV form based on the same underpinnings. Buyers who want a similarly-sized vehicle with an electrified internal combustion engine can opt for a member of Renault’s SUV family including the Captur, the Arkana, and the Austral.
