With six new products launched in 2024, including the long-awaited rebirth of the electric Renault 5, Renault has the right to slow down a little next year. Like a well-deserved rest after hard work. This is actually what Losange will actually do, with fewer new products planned for its catalog. But don't think that the break is complete, because some very popular models will still be talked about again.
The restyled Mégane E-Tech
First, there will be the restyling of the Mégane E-Tech. Although it has logically been eclipsed by the new R5, the Mégane nonetheless remains the third best-selling electric car in France in 2024 (figures as of November 30) with some 16,000 units sold. This shows that its role remains preponderant in the “green” sales of Losange, which contribute, as we recall, to the improvement of the annual CO2 average. Presented at the end of 2021, it is time for it to get a makeover, because its stylistic codes no longer fit with the new impetus given by the recent Clio, Captur and Scénic. The restyling of the Mégane E-Tech will therefore follow the trend, with the appearance, at the front, of vertical daytime running lights in the bumper and an inverted angle grille.. Don't expect anything at the rear since you would have to completely retouch the tailgate and rear fenders to change the light signature. As for the interior, this should also be the status quo since it is precisely this Mégane which had introduced the new digital instrumentation.
The restyled Austral
Another restyling expected in this vein: that of the Austral. With sales down 12% this year (around 25,000 units), Renault's compact SUV must regain some dynamism. Like the Mégane, the Austral will adopt the new exterior of the brand's other SUVs while it still sports the inverted Cs that appeared in the second half of the last decade. On the other hand, unlike the Mégane, the Austral could also be entitled to new optical units at the rear.
Above all, it cannot be ruled out that the range of engines will evolve. We will obviously have to count on the 1.2 micro-hybrid 48V which currently develops 130 hp – but could also be slightly “inflated” – as well as the E-Tech 200. But the TCe 160 should disappear, due to low sales and too high a CO2 weight in the range. A less powerful version of the E-Tech 200 would therefore seem logical to fill the significant gap with the entry-level 130 hp.
Launch of the small R5, the R4…and new Twingo?
Alongside these revelations, Renault will also have the difficult task of managing the launch of the 40 kWh version of the new R5which must lower the entry ticket below €25,000, as well as the arrival in concessions of the R4, on which the Losange is also banking heavily.
One question remains: will we see, or not, the first images of the future electric Twingo? Even if he defended himself from any neo-retro strategy during the launch of the R5, Gilles Vidal, the current boss of Renault style, ticks the boxes one after the other. And so a revival of the 1992 Twingo, in 100% electric mode, will see the light of day in 2026. While Volkswagen, which was originally supposed to participate in this renaissance while taking advantage of this partnership, it is ultimately with Nissan that the Losange should work. The launch of this electric city car promised at around €20,000 will not take place before 2026, but a first meeting at the very end of the year cannot be ruled out.
