2009 Geneva Auto Show: Renault's New Clio and Mégane Lineups

BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, France — Renault is inaugurating the spring season by unveiling a Mégane Sport Tourer at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, along with new five- and seven-passenger Mégane Scénic MPVs and the 2009 Clio lineup.The Mégane Sport Tourer is a new model with an extended wheelbase but with a strong sibling resemblance to the Mégane hatch. The Sport Tourer comes with a choice of five gasoline and six diesel engines, including the new high-efficiency TCe 130 engine, developed by the Renault-Nissan alliance, which is a 1.4-liter engine 'that boasts the torque of a 2.0-liter engine and the power of a 1.8' with CO2 emissions 'less than those of a 1.6.'The New Grand Scénic is a seven-passenger MPV, and the New Scénic seats five. A choice of three gasoline and six diesel engines is offered on the Scénics.Both MPVs have a reversing camera with sensor and optional Carminat TomTom satellite navigation. Renault says these two New Scénic models are the first in their class to use a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screen that displays vehicle speed, speed limiter and cruise control systems and the reversing camera's image. The trunk has an 18.4-cubic-foot storage capacity in the five-passenger and 24.8 cubic feet in the seven-passenger, a 10 percent increase over the previous seven-passenger Grand Scénic II.The New Grand Scénic goes on sale in the U.K. in May with the five-passenger New Scénic hitting showrooms in July. The Mégane Sport Tourer's on-sale date is August.Renault also introduced its 2009 Clio lineup in Geneva, with new Hatch and Sport Tourer versions and a trio of performance models: the GT, Renaultsport 200 Cup and the Renaultsport 200.The Clio GT, based on the three-door hatchback Clio, gets a set of 16-inch alloy wheels, a gloss black grille, extended side sills, a rear spoiler and twin exhaust pipes. The Renaultsport 200 and Cup 200 each get modified chassis and suspension.The Clios are on sale in the U.K. in May.Inside Line says: A lot to see from Renault this spring. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent