Australia's Drive recently had a chat with Glen Sealey, general manager of Renault Australia, who told the online publication the Renault RS will bow out in late 2023 as the demand for gas-powered performance vehicles in this segment is shrinking. Although Sealey didn't come out and say it, his words suggest that the cancelation will affect all global markets.
"Megane RS ceases next year. I don't have the production end date yet, but from a production stand-point it won't continue beyond the end of next year" Sealey told. "The demand for a hot hatch in Europe is waning. That can be replaced with an electric car. And it makes commonsense to switch across."
It is not yet known whether the hot hatchback will get a successor. We can assume that a faster version will appear in the all-electric crossover Renault Megane E-Tech. Currently, the most powerful electric Megane has 218 horsepower (160 kilowatts) and 300 Nm of torque for a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration in about 7.4 seconds.
2018 Renault Megane RS
Renault Megane RS is a high-performance version of the Renault Megane hatchback. The third generation of the Megane RS is based on the 4th generation of the Megane and was introduced at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is available in 3 trims: 280-Sport, 280-Cup and 300-Trophy. All versions are equipped with a 1.8-liter turbocharged gasoline engine of various outputs from 280 to 300 hp.
