Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet - The Elegance of A Coupe and the Enjoyment of Open-Top Motoring

PARIS – February 5, 2010: New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet rounds off the renewal of the New M�gane family in style with introduction of the line-up's sixth body type. The newcomer's striking looks combine the elegance of a coup� with the promise of the thrills that go hand-in-hand with driving a cabriolet.

New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet builds on the strengths that forged the success of its predecessor – including a large, folding glass roof and a raft of user-friendly equipment – yet it goes further still by offering customers:

unruffled open-top motoring thanks to the forward position of the windscreen and a fixed glass wind deflector situated behind the rear head restraints

outstanding handling performance thanks to a stiffer chassis and a new electric power steering system

a broad choice of efficient and eco-friendly powertrains, including the all-new automatic EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission

careful attention to quality, including high-gloss black and satin-effect chrome exterior features.

New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet is manufactured alongside Sc�nic and Grand Sc�nic at Renault's Douai plant in France. It consequently benefits from the experience gained since the beginning of the M�gane programme, including the assembly of the former-generation M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet.

New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet is an open invitation to enjoy an alternative way to go motoring, and is an elegant illustration of Renault's new brand signature, 'Drive the Change'.

Sales of New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet will begin this spring.

Arresting Looks From Every Angle
New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet completes the renewal of the New M�gane family in style. Its elegant looks are underpinned by the large glass roof which tells you that this is unmistakably a cabriolet, even in its coup� configuration. This high-gloss finish, black glass roof contrasts with the satin-effect chrome windscreen frame. The dark red taillights feature a linear lighting pattern and LED brake lights to provide a distinctive rear lighting signature.

The interior layout carries over the same elegance, thanks not only to the quality of the materials employed and to the high standard of finish, but also to the three choices of trim, which range from dark charcoal and light beige to the charcoal and red two-tone finish with leather seats.

Although the dashboard is identical to that of New M�gane Hatchback, the seats offer additional lateral support, while the 'butterfly wing' door trim panel is specific to New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet and adds to the newcomer's appeal.

Chic And Practical
New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet's occupants benefit from the thrills of unruffled open-top motoring in all conditions.

The standard folding glass hard roof boasts a transparent glazed area of 0.47 sq. metres (the largest in the segment) to ensure a brightly lit cabin and a sensation of space and freedom. It also guarantees outstanding acoustic and thermal comfort, as well as the reassurance of greater protection from vandalism. The fully-automatic, electro-hydraulic opening mechanism of the two-part roof enables the driver to lower the top in just 21 seconds at the press of a button.

With the top down, the driver and passengers alike enjoy a real sense of freedom. Entry and exit is made easier by the more forward position of the windscreen header-rail which has been advanced by 6cm compared with M�gane II Coup�-Cabriolet.

To make sure that all occupants are able to benefit from the pleasure of riding al fresco without the drawbacks, New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet is equipped with a fixed glass wind deflector (unique in the segment) positioned behind the back seat headrests. This arrangement enables four people to enjoy draft-free driving at speeds of up to 90kph and, when used in conjunction with the removable mesh deflector screen located behind the front seats, allows two occupants to travel free from buffeting whatever the speed.

The driver is treated to a carefully thought-through environment and conveniently positioned controls which carry over solutions previously employed for New M�gane Hatchback and New M�gane Coup�:

controls clustered either around the steering wheel or on the centre console,

height- and fore/aft-adjustable driver's seat (through 70mm and 240mm respectively),

position memory for front seats, after being tipped forward,

reach and height-adjustable steering wheel (through 45mm and five degrees respectively).

In addition to New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet's carefully-honed lines, special attention has gone into ensuring that it is a practical package, too, and that includes the boot:

automatic closing for simple, secure locking,

arge capacity (417 litres with the roof up, and 211 litres with the roof down),

easy to access, with a segment-best sill height (590mm from the ground) and aperture (258mm) with the roof down, enabling three cabin cases to be carried side by side.

A Raft Of Practical, User-Friendly High-Tech Features
Like all the models that make up the New M�gane family, New Renault M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet is available with a long list of high-tech features, most of which are more readily associated with the next segment up:

hands-free starting, and hands-free locking as the card-holder walks away from the car,

automatic electric parking brake,

automatic dual-zone three-mode (soft-auto-fast) climate control,

directional bi-Xenon headlamps,

combined digital/analogue instrument display,

new, colour-coded cruise control/speed limiter interface,

3D sound by Arkamys� audio with Plug&Music connectivity (USB, mini-jack plug),

Carminat TomTom� navigation, the market's most competitively priced built-in sat-nav system,

customised settings and activation/deactivation of certain functions (daytime running lights, volume of audible parking proximity warning).

A Perfectly Smooth Ride
New Renault M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet delivers the same high standard of driving precision as M�gane Hatchback and M�gane Coup� to provide an enjoyable, responsive ride:

The MacPherson-type front suspension is attached to a so-called 'horned' subframe, an arrangement that ensures a level of lateral rigidity that is three-times superior to that of the former-generation Megan Coup�-Cabriolet.

The rear suspension's torsion beam features a lighter, closed-profile beam that delivers enhanced torsional stiffness.

The new electric power steering system is more responsive and refined, and gives even more accurate feedback of information from the road.

The torsional rigidity of the bodyshell has been uprated by 80 per cent compared with M�gane II Coup�-Cabriolet in order to match the increased stiffness of the suspension and for even greater handling precision, whether the roof is up or down.

New M�gane Coup�-Cabriolet is available with a choice of seven efficient and eco-friendly petrol and diesel powertrain configurations (depending on the market).