2016 Renault Megane IV

If all goes according to plan, Renault should blow the wraps off its fourth-gen Megane at the Frankfurt auto show in September with the hatch to go on sale across Europe by early 2016.

These renderings from Virtuel-Car attempt to decipher the styling under the camouflage wraps of Renault's Megane testers painting a more conservative picture for the compact hatch with inspiration coming from the smaller Clio. 

The new Megane is a very crucial model for Renault as it will attempt to win back valuable market share from the likes of VW's Golf, Ford's Focus and the Opel / Vauxhall Astra, which itself, will also get a replacement. 

Believed to be based on a new platform co-developed with Nissan, the next Megane will feature an updated engine range that will include a replacement for the hot RenaultSport model.

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VW Golf on Top European Car Market

If you're in the market for a brand new car and you live in Europe, odds are, you're just going to make traffic even worse by the end of the year.

But that's a good thing, mostly. It's good for the car manufacturers and it's good for those who are obviously doing better financially, allowing them to afford buying new instead of used.

Compared to the same month last year, new car sales in February 2015 were up 7.8% according to JATO Dynamics and their analysis on new car sales. If we add this up to the rise we've seen in January, it would mean that the market is already ahead by 7.1% compared to 2014.

As of right now, Europe's best selling brands are Volkswagen, Renault and Ford (for the month of February). TheGolf holds a strong lead with sales up 5.8% last month, while the Polo holds down second place ahead of the Renault Clio.

Speaking of Renault, they took 2nd place away from Ford thanks to the Clio being a massive hit - mostly because of its looks. Otherwise there would be no reason why Renault should be outselling Ford in any capacity.

The Fiesta is however the 4th best-selling model in Europe, while the attractive Peugeot 208 is 5th, ahead of the new Opel/Vauxhall Corsa.

The all-new Passat is also looking strong, quite strong when you think about the fact that it's selling at a pace which basically matches what cars from the supermini segment are doing. It's 63.8% rise compared to its predecessor last year makes it the most improved performer among the top 10 models.

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Renault Capture Small Crossover

The new Captur is the French version of the Nissan Juke, with which it shares its platform architecture that also underpins the Renault Clio Mk4. At 4,120mm (162.2-inches) long, the Captur is only 5mm (about 0.2-inches) shorter than the Juke.

According to Renault, the Captur combines the "expressive styling and driving position of an SUV, the cabin space and modular interior of an MPV, and the agility and driving enjoyment of a compact hatchback".

While it may borrow the name of the athletic three-door Capture concept from 2011, when it came to the design, Renault chose to look more towards the latest Clio than the study itself.

Renault says the Captur will offer many customization options including a two-tone color scheme that produces a contrast between the roof and pillars and the rest of the bodywork, as well as a choice of colors and motifs for the different trim features in the cabin.

Inside, the French brand tells us that the crossover offers "a large boot, modular interior and innovative stowage solutions" borrowed from the world of MPVs (minivans), adding that it will be equipped with plenty of standard features including hands-free entry, hill start assist and rear parking sensors.

Available features will include an in-dash Renault R-Link touchscreen multimedia tablet, plus a system that comprises six loudspeakers, Bluetooth connectivity, audio-streaming and Arkamys hi-fi sound

Renault is holding back on the engine details, but said that the Captur will be offered with a variety of petrol and diesel engines with "best-in-class fuel consumption" and CO2 emissions starting from as low as 96g/km. From what we understand, the engine lineup will mirror that of the new Clio with the latest turbocharged three-cylinder petrol and four-cylinder diesel units.

The Captur will be manufactured at Renault’s Valladolid plant in Spain.

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2014 Renault Megane Coupé IV

The designs are for a replacement of the sportier looking Megane Coupe, which is essentially a three-door hatchback with a coupe-ish roofline, much in the likes of the VW Scirocco and Opel / Vauxhall Astra GTC.

Judging by the wheels, the lowered stance and the rear diffuser, Thomas was looking to emulate the look of the range-topping RenaultSport edition.

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2013 Renault Clio Sports Tourer

From what we have seen up until now, the Clio Estate appears to be as stylish as its five-door sibling offering the added bonus of a larger and possibly more practical cargo area.

Look for the new Sports Tourer model either at the Paris Motor Show in September this year or at the Geneva Salon in 2013.

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Renault Clio MK4

The Clio's body comes wrapped in a sheetmetal full of curves and creases with comparatively large headlamps, slabs of chrome under the windows and above the side skirts while it also features hidden rear-door handles for a more dynamic and sportier look.

We don't have any pictures of the interior yet, but Renault insiders have said in the past that the new Clio's cabin will sport higher-quality materials and have a more defined and emotional design.

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Renault Alpine A110-50 Concept

The A110-50 seems to be heavily based on Renault's DeZire Concept from the 2010 Paris Auto Show featuring the Alpine brand's traditional blue hue and a redesigned front-end sporting some styling cues from the original A110 of the 1960s such as the circular air-intakes between the new headlamps.

The Alpine model has a racier look thanks to an assortment of aero parts including the front spoiler, protruding side skirts and rear diffuser, and a massive rear wing, while it also rides on new alloy wheels.

The racing theme continues inside with the steering wheel, roll cage and bucket seats.

As for the powertrain setup, whereas the DeZir was fitted with a 147hp (150PS) electric motor mounted in a mid-rear position driving the rear wheels and a 24kWh lithium-ion battery, Renault has revealed that the A110-50 is equipped with a 400-horsepower engine. Some suggest that this is a V6 unit, possibly sourced from its Nissan counterpart, but this has not been confirmed.

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