First look: Megane sedan's sunny debut

RENAULT has chosen the sunny climes of the Barcelona international motor show to reveal the latest and most orthodox additions to its second generation Megane range - the sedan and estate.

While the sedan is a certainty to make it to Australia - at this stage around April 2004 - the wagon is not being considered for local launch.

The latest reveals bring to six the number of Megane II models that have now been launched, which includes the three and five-door hatches, the steel and glass-roofed convertible and the five-seat version of the Scenic compact people-mover.

A long wheelbase seven-seat version of the Scenic is due to be revealed next and that should complete the model roll-out.

But the four-wheel drive RX4 Scenic variant appears to have disappeared, expected to make way for a new compact Renault off-roader that will borrow heavily from alliance partner Nissan's technology.

The hatches go on sale in Australia in October while the convertible and five-seat Scenic are believed to be heading here around the same time in 2004.

The seven-seat Scenic is expected to follow about six months later. But that timetable has the potential to blow out, considering some of the delays that have been encountered previously.

To be built in Bursa, Turkey, the Megane sedan is being considered for sale in Australia only with the choice of a 98.5kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine mated to either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.

Expect pricing to kick off close to $30,000 for the sedan, which ensures there's plenty of room for the Clio, which currently tops out at $24,990 (except for the 2.0-litre hot hatch versions).

Both the sedan and wagon are built on an extended wheelbase version of the Megane II C-platform (which it shares with the next generation Nissan Pulsar) that is 61mm longer than the hatches.

Renault claims the extra length delivers a class-leading 230mm of rear knee room. Rear doors are also longer than the hatch.

The rear suspension system is also altered to cope with the extended platform, but the fundamental torsion beam design remains the same.

The rear overhang is increased by 228mm for the sedan by comparison with the hatch, creating a boot load volume of 520 litres, up 10 litres on the old sedan (which was never sold in Australia).

Renault is confident the modified structure of the sedan and wagon will still yield a five-star NCAP rating, the Megane hatch being the first small car to achieve the highest possible ranking.

The key change is a strengthened structure adapted to their rear-end mass, which includes both energy absorbing zones and programmed compaction for optimal deformation.

Those changes are complemented by Renault safety systems which include adaptive front and side airbags, Emergency Braking Assistance, ESP (dynamic driving control) with an understeer control function, ASR (traction control) and a tyre pressure monitoring system developed in partnership with Michelin.

Luxury features Renault is touting for the sedan - although not necessarily coming here as standard - include hands-free access and engine ignition, satellite navigation with foldaway wide screen, cruise control speed limiter and rain and light level sensors.

* Renault also revealed an updated Kangoo 4x4 in Barcelona but it does not seem to have an Australian future, unlike the commercial version of the Kangoo that is being considered for 2004. The larger Trafic commercial gets here this year.