2019 Renault Megane RS Trophy-R verdict

Now we come to the elephant in the room: the price of the Renault Megane RS. At £51,140 before options (or a staggering £72,140 with the carbon brakes and wheels), the standard Trophy-R is around £20,000 more expensive than both the regular Trophy and the Honda Civic Type R, our reigning Hot Hatch of the Year.

Even the new Mercedes-AMG A45 S, which offers four-wheel drive and a whopping 415bhp, is expected to cost you barely any more.

True, the Trophy-R should hold its value well, given how limited supply is (Renault has capped production at 500 cars, with just 32 of those coming to the UK), and it is the most track-focused option. However, even taking this into consideration, we can’t honestly say it’s worth such a high price.

If you want a thrilling hot hatch, the Trophy will be much easier to live with, as will the Civic Type R or A45. Or if you need only two seats and have £50,000 to spend, we’d point you in the direction of the Alpine A110 sports car.

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What Car? says

Rated 2 out of 5

Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R specification

Price as tested £72,140 Engine 4cyl, 1798cc, turbo, petrol Power 296bhp @ 6000rpm Torque 295lb ft @ 3200rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual 0-62mph 5.4sec Top speed 163mph Fuel economy 34.4mpg (WLTP combined) CO2, tax band 183g/km, 37% 

Rivals Honda Civic Type R, Alpine A110

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