2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime Debuts as the Final Megane RS

This is it. The very last Megane model to don the Renault Sport badge. Poised to make its global debut this week at the Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) 2023, the 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime is the marque’s swan song for its RS-badged hot-hatches, that will surely go down in the history as one of the best hot-hatches ever made.

The Megane RS Ultime is offered in four colourways, with the special Sirius Yellow hue being the hero colour for any RS models. The other three colours are Star Black, Pearl White, and Tonic Orange. The Ultime also comes with matte black graphics on its front doors and fenders, as well as on the hood, roof, and the rear bumper.

The matte black treatment continues on other parts of the Ultime, including the door handles, side mirrors, window frame, diffusers, as well as all of the badges. Plus, the front hood comes painted with “Ultime” monogram – in case people are mistaking it for other Megane RS models.

The Megane RS Ultime boasts a wider stance due to the addition of a beefier body kit that comes with flared-out fenders with side air vents, shark fin antenna, as well as central-mounted tailpipe and a proper rear diffuser. Underpinning the lowered Cup chassis, the Ultime rides on a set of 19-inch Fuji Light wheels draped in black, wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S007 semi-slick tyres originally developed for the Megane Trophy R.

Said Cup chassis also garners the Ultime with Torsen mechanical differential and rear-wheel steering. Meanwhile, its stopping power comes from a set of performance-ready Brembo dual-cast brakes, with its red callipers adding a sporty touch to the hot-hatch’s overall look.

Powering this hot-hatch is a 1.8-litre 4-cyl turbocharged mill rated at 300 HP and 420 NM, derived from the Alpine A110 sportscar. Said engine is paired with either a manual transmission or the marque’s proprietary EDC automatic gearbox, though the latter will be offered only in Europe. 

All in, this powertrain setup grants the Megane RS Ultime to sprint from nought to 100 KM/H in 5.7 seconds, Renault claims.

The Ultime cabin is primed with Recaro bucket seats with RS embroidery, wrapped in Alcantara upholstery. This racecar-like cabin is supplemented with tech amenities such as the 9.3-inch infotainment display with a dedicated telemetry system, 360-degree manoeuvring aids, adaptive cruise control, as well as fancy Bose speakers.

On the other hand, drivers will be getting a sporty Alcantara steering wheel with red stitching and RS logo mounted on it, as well as a 10-inch instrument cluster display. A special numbered metal plaque signed by its development driver Laurent Hurgon is mounted at the bottom of its central console.

The final piece in Renault RS’s long history will be available for sale in Spring 2023, replacing both the Megane RS and RS Trophy. Unfortunately, only 1,976 Ultimes will be built – a figure that commemorates the year the Renault Sport division was founded. As for pricing, the French national automaker has yet to disclose them publicly, for now.

The 2023 Renault Megane RS Ultime is set to make its global debut in the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon 2023, happening at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, from Jan 13 to 15, 2023.