Currently reading: Next Renault Megane points to larger model overhaul

After revamping its small cars, Renault is now sorting out its range of Mégane-size cars and above, starting with the new Espace

The Renault Mégane and other cars of similar sizes in Renault's range will be overhauled as part of its brand reinvention.

With the firm now back on track with its new range of small models — including the Renault Clio, Renault Captur, Renault Zoe and forthcoming Mk3 Twingo — it will start rolling out a whole new range of medium to large cars based on a flexible new platform shared with Nissan.

The new architecture, dubbed CMF2, has been used first on the Nissan X-Trail launched earlier this month. The first Renault to be underpinned by it is the new Espace, due in late 2014. However, this model is not destined for the UK because it won’t be engineered for right-hand drive.

UK Renaults will get the platform first on the new and expanded Mégane range, due to be introduced from 2015. The line-up will grow to include a new crossover, which is set to be closely related to the new CMF2-based Nissan Qashqai, due early next year.

Renault product planning chief Philippe Klein confirmed that the Mégane range still needed a conventional five-door model, but there was room to innovate within the class.

“The Mégane’s segment is significant worldwide and we’re staying there,” said Klein. “But we also need to come into new segments with new models that show we’re different. The crossover segment is growing and we want to be part of it.”

Renault design chief Laurens van den Acker dismissed suggestions that the new Mégane-based crossover would merely be an upscaled Captur. “People said the Captur would just be a big Clio, and we’ve proved otherwise,” he said. “We can give the new car a personality of its own.”

Van den Acker also hinted that the new Scenic would move more towards a flexible SUV while remaining an MPV in its next generation, but it was “my problem” to ensure that the new Mégane-based crossover and the Scenic didn’t overlap.

Another CMF2-based Renault that won’t make it to the UK is the next Laguna. Van den Acker admitted that “our track record is not the best” with the car, and completely rethinking a car like the Laguna was a “once-in-a-lifetime chance for a designer”.

Mark Tisshaw

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Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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AndyT 7 November 2013

If you go to

If you go to www.renault.com.au you will see that Renault still sells a RHD Koleos and the also Korean made Lattitude in Australia. The Irish Renault site also shows RHD Laguna still on sale in Rep of Ireland and a regular (non electric) Fluence, so other RHD markets do not necessarily rely on what does or doesnt sell in the UK - a bit like Fiat selling the Freemont MPV in Australia but not in the UK.
Rdriver 29 September 2013

For Russia it is very good

For Russia it is very good option.
Koleos road. Renault Duster is too simple.
Kaptur did not sell.
We will wait for Megane.

..The photo did not pay attention. This is a photoshop.

jonboy4969 28 September 2013

What a stupid first comment

What a stupid first comment about not forgiving Renault for cutting the dead wood from its range, they did the right thing, get rid of what does not sell or make profits on, the Wind, as well as being totally rubbish, sold about one in the UK, teh espace, had had its day, the Captur is doing very nicely in its place, thank you.

The Laguna was a great car, at a stupid price, hence lack of sales, also the poor reliability of that model did very little to enamour it to anyone, along with the other models it cut made financial sense, and I like above, applaud RUK for doing it.

The corporate sales are up this year on last year, so far, and with the new Twingo and Megane this will surely increase further, I have a soft spot for Renaults, since the utterly brilliant R16, and with the guts to do what's needed to keep going has made my fondness enhanced.