Geneva Debut for New Renault Scenic, Grand Scenic and Megane Grandtour

Along with the new 250HP Megane Coupe RS, Renault will also stage the world debut of three more Megane-based models at the Geneva Show, the Scenic and Grand Scenic MPVs and the Megane Grandtour station-wagon. The French firm's new people carrier will be available once again in two styles, the five-seater Scenic and the extended-wheelbase Grand Scenic that can accommodate seven passengers in three rows of seats.

As you can see in the images that come from a patent application made by Renault with the EU trademark office, the Scenic III's styling draws on the latest Megane as well as the Laguna - at least in what concerns the front-end design.

Renault's Opel Zafira and Volkswagen Touran rival will share the same engine line-up with the rest of the Megane range. This means that the petrol engine range will consist of 100 and 110HP 1.6-liter units, a 140HP 2.0-liter and the turbocharged 130HP 1.4TCe and 180HP 2.0TCe. Diesel options will include 1.5 dCi 85HP, 90 HP, 105 HP and 110 HP units along with more powerful 130 HP, 150HP and 160 HP variants.

As for the Megane Grandtour, Renault's C-Segment station-wagon is expected to feature a longer wheelbase than the hatchback model. The engine range variations will of course be on par with the Megane hatchback.

2009 Renault Scenic III

2009 Renault Grand Scenic III

Insider: 2009 Renault Megane Coupe RS with 250HP to bow in Geneva

Renault's super-hot performance version of the new Megane Coupe that was unleashed at last year's Paris Show will break cover in Geneva on March 3. The Megane Coupe RenaultSport (RS), will be equipped with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine as the most powerful version of the current Megane RS, the limited edition R26, but according to Carscoop's sources, the French firm's engineers have performed several upgrades boosting output from 230HP to 250HP. That's 40HP more than the new VW Golf GTI, 25HP more than the Ford Focus ST and 10HP more than the Opel Astra OPC which are the RS's chief rivals.

Power will be transmitted to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, while the Megane Coupe's chassis and suspension will be enhanced. A limited-slip differential will also be offered as an option on the standard version. Why, will Renault introduce more than one variants of the Megane RS, you ask? The answer is yes, as our insiders said that the French carmaker will reveal more hardcore versions of the RS, just like it did with the current-generation model.

These hardcore variants will focus on weight reduction and improved handling through a series of measures like the addition of a limited-slip differential and the re-calibrating of the suspension settings, instead of increasing the turbocharged engine's output.

Visually, the 2009 Megane Coupe RS will stand out from the crowd thanks to a bodykit that is said to include new front and rear bumpers, spoilers and flared wheel arches. While the RS might not be as dramatic as the race-prepped Megane Trophy seen in the pictures, RenaultSport's people claim that the hot Megane Coupe will definitely capture our attention with its looks.

New Renault Megane Achieves Best Score in Euro NCAP Crash Test

The new Renault Megane hatchback has scored the highest possible rating in Euro NCAP's latest crash tests gathering a perfect five stars and 37 points out of 37 - that's maximum points for protection of occupants in side and front impact tests. The only other vehicle to achieve a perfect score in adult occupant protection in Euro NCAP's 10-year long history is the Qashqai from sister company Nissan ,with which the Megane hatchback shares the same platform.

In the crash safety body's other tests, the French hatchback was awarded four stars for child occupant protection while we've yet to learn how many stars the Megane managed to gather for pedestrian protection.