Although the first Renault Mégane has a lot in common with its predecessor 19 from a technical point of view, the model marked a new beginning for Renault in many ways. The first Renault with the now well-known name appeared in 1995 and received a major facelift in 1999.
A new name, a new beginning. Renault went through a minor revolution in the 1990s, replacing the 5 with the Clio, the 21 with the Laguna and the 19 with the Mégane. As was customary at the time, the bodywork of the models was significantly rounded compared to their predecessors, although the 19 already made a significant design-technical step towards its successor in 1992.
Five variants
Where most manufacturers in the C-segment nowadays suffice with a five-door hatchback, a station wagon and perhaps a crossover, the Mégane initially appeared in five different variants. In addition to a five-door hatchback with a strikingly flat rear window, the car was also available as a sedan to begin with. Instead of a regular three-door, Renault presented a real Coupé. That trend would later be followed by Opel and Kia, among others. However, there is an important difference, because Renault decided to turn its Mégane Coupé into a real two-door. So not a big tailgate, but a tiny, sedan-like lid. The Coupé distinguished itself with a unique rear with conspicuous rear lights hidden behind masks and its own front bumper, with round fog lights being the most striking difference from the front of less sporty versions.
The front and rear facades are then shared with body variant four: the convertible. That seems an open Coupé, but strikingly the open Mégane is just a bit longer than its close brother. For the convertible, a striking cover for the rear seat could also be ordered, so that the car can be described as a roadster-style with a little good will.
The fifth body style is also the most special. The high Mégane Scénic was not the first space car based on a compact mid-size car (we salute the Nissan Prairie and Honda Civic Shuttle), but it set the trend when it comes to midi MPVs. The extremely flexible concept was widely followed and remained very successful for many years.
This Scénic has been discussed before in this section, so today we will focus on the low variants. In 1999 all Méganes got a new nose. The striking bonnet, which only connects to the front bumper in the middle, was replaced by a copy that completely covers both parts of the grille. Bright, more narrowed-down light units provide a modern look, while the more practical variants now also have round fog lights.
Well: bodywork six
At the rear, rear lights appeared in a red / white instead of black / red color scheme and of course there were new wheels, colors and upholstery materials. To top it all off, Renault simply decided to add another body variant to the already considerable range. In 1999, the Mégane Estate also appeared, a car that has never been there with the original nose.
What applies to the variants with rear doors, largely also applies to the Coupé and Cabrio. At the rear, Renault decided to replace the masked rear lights with differently arranged, unmasked ones. By moving the indicators a little inward, space was created for the rear fog lights, which until then had been housed in separate units next to the license plate. The Coupé therefore got a tighter tailgate without those extra lights, but Renault found that too much trouble for the convertible. Open Méganes from after 1999 therefore have the new rear lights and a set of red units next to the number plate, as a permanent reminder of the original model.