This is Renault's new Megane, which has been revealed early after these pictures leaked onto the web.
Due to be introduced at next month's Paris motor show, the third-generation Megane will go on sale in the UK at the beginning of 2009 at comparable prices to the current car.
Separate three and five-door (or coupe and hatchback) versions of the Megane are planned for this generation. You're looking at the five-door, and pictures of the coupe will emerge after the Paris show. According to company sources, only the bonnet, rear bumper and headlights are shared across the two cars, so prepare for something a little more radical.
We know that Renault's priorities during the development of the new Megane were to achieve improved quality, better value for money and better powertrain efficiency than the current Megane. Comfort and refinement are also thought to be a key part of the new Megane's brief.
The aesthetic is a far cry from the more adventurous spirit of its direct antecedent, and more in line with the more conservative-looking, fleet-targetted Laguna. There's no bustle-back hatch here, and a much more conventional silhouette. Flame-like headlights, a wave-like shoulderline and a thick, tapered C-pillar are the highlights. (Thanks to Autocar for News and Pictures).
