The Renault Megane has been a favorite among hutchback cars in the past years, but this year’s 2012 Renault Megane 256 is even better. To start off, it’s priced at a reasonable £24,895. What makes this car really special, though, is the fact that it goes even faster than it used to.

Consumers were already happy with the speed of its predecessor, the Renault Megane 250. Imagine having an extra 14bhp speed and 15 lb/ft of torque to go with it. Some cosmetic upgrades will also be made to the marketed product line. However, as is always the case, the manufacturer is concentrating, now, on the World Cup model of the car.

It is standard for this car to produce about 247bhp just like the Megane 250, but there’s an add-on. You can now press a button on the dashboard to allow your car to go as fast as 261 bhp. Experts who have tried the new car, though, say that the change is hardly noticeable as the older Megane is already super fast, but if you want to feel like a real racer, the speed upgrade might be worthy of the added cost. What you’ll notice is the louder and more powerful sound produced by the car when you press the turbocharger and you reach the peak speed. It’s certainly something to look forward to.

The Cup Model is actually quite impressive because, even at this speed, it stays stable in corners and has an impressive grip. The steering is also quite amazing.

More than being just another powerhouse, the Renault Megane 265 has classy interiors. The stereo has been upgraded, the steering wheel lined with leather, and the pedals finished in white. There is more space in the front seats, too, although the small backseat leg space might  put you off.

The Renault 16 went on production between 1965 and 1980 and was the flagship sedan of the brand during those years. Aside from having a Hemi, the 16 was the a pioneering French car being the first to have the central lock system in the country and also helped the hatchback design to be accessible to the consuming public.

Let’s now go back to the current calendar and you will notice that you cannot tap a vehicle in the Renault garage and call it its flagship sedan. When you look at the list, the last flagship sedan was the Vel Satis which only had a 62,000 unit run and terminated on 2009.

The new general director of the brand, Carlos Tavares, wants to do something and give the brand is new flagship sedan.

The car manufacturing executive recently announced that Renault will be pushing thru with its plan to start production of their flagship sedan come 2014. In order to do this, the carmaker pours in around $534 million of funding to the Douia factory which will need some upgrade and modernization. Aside from the flaghsip sedan, the plant will also be Laguna, a midsize sedan, and the minivan called Espace.

The manufacturer does not want to give out anything about the new flagship sedan but hinted that we can expect a concept version of this vehicle during the motor show in Paris or during the 2013 auto show in Geneva. The Renault executive also hinted that the Alpine brand might be resurrected but a final green light for this project is still being awaited.

The Twizy Colour has a sticker price of £6950 ($10,858) while the Twizy Urban variant will come in at £6690 ($10,452) and the top of the line Twizy Technic version will set buyers back by £7,400 ($11,561). In addition to the cost of the Renault Twizzy, consumers will also have to cover for the month battery cost of £40. The cost of the battery hire is computed on a 3 year outlook with the user traveling for 4,500 miles each year.

The difference between the Colour  and Urban variants of the Renault Twizy will only be the paintwork on the  body.

The Renault Twizy Colour comes with a stylized varying bodywork while the Urban will come available only in blue, grey, black, or solid red. The top of the line Renault Twizy Technic will come in pearly white or metallic black with nice features like the white seats, some carbon-fiber graphics, and black alloy rims.

The Renault Twizy will be in showrooms for sale by March 2012. The Renault Twizy is just 7.7 feet in length, weighs 992 pounds, and boasts of good acceleration and torque. The Twizy has a torque of 42 pound-feet and can go as fast as 50 miles per hour. So far the Twizzy has been getting good reviews, and aside from comments of a bit of an under steering, thosse who have tried it were most likely convinced that they can use one.

Charging of the Twizy takes around 3.5 hours for a full charge and about three hours of charging for 80% of capacity. Yes, just like your mobile phone, this electric comes with a charger and a cord.

The Renault DeZir wil be fitted with an electric motor with lithium ion batteries for back up. This new member of the Renault garage outputs a decent 148bhp and a torque of 167 lb-ft. The car can go from 0 to 62 mph though in a matter of 5 seconds, primarily attributed to its weight of only 830 kilograms. The DeZir designers made use of Kevlar bodywork on tubular frame made of steel to keep the weight of the car down on the scales.

For the extra power, this Renault will be able to make use of the recovered brake energy. The battery pack will be able to take the car to roughly 100 miles from point of origin. Charging to 80% of its capacity can be done in just 20 minutes via the Quick Drop technology of Renault.

The front-end design of the DeZir is a preview of what is to come with all future Renault models. This will be most likely evident on the upcoming Clio which may adapt the lines of the DeZir’s nose, headlights, and the quite noticeable logo of Renault.

The interiors of the car feature a single bench for two occupants emblazoned with Renault graphics. Leather finishing in white and red lacquer also dominates the cabin.

Renault is also collaborating with IRCAM, a company expert in acoustics, to give the car its “false” soundtrack.

The Estate Wagon has a bigger carrying capacity compared to the standard hatch unit of Megane. The wagon also has an extended wheelbase and rear overhang.

The Estate’s front end is identical to the face of the hatchback variant. The designers modified the tail end and side of the wagon so it will look more proportional. The trunk offers a big space of 524L that can be made bigger by as much as 119L when the rear sits are folded down.

Consumers will have a full range of choices when it comes to the engine of the Estate. The wagon is offered both in diesel and petrol variants.

The new TCe 130 powerplant is a very economical choice offered by Renault to Estate buyers. The 1.4L engine has lower emissions compared to the bigger 1.6L but boasts of power comparable to a 1.8 with a torque of a 2.0. Awesome fuel efficiency in a great car, I love it!

The Megane Estate can also be acquired as a 2.0L run vehicle coupled with automatic transmission. A lower 1.6L petrol engine is also available that can output about 100 to 110 horsepower.

The diesel engine Megane comes in a number of choices including three variants for the 1.5L dCi. The diesel line up features low emissions ranging from 118 to 120g/km for the dCi 86 and 106, respectively. The diesel engine brood is headed by the 2.0dCi which can be acquired in ranging power outputs. Consumers can opt for 140 to 160 horsepower.

The details of the electric vehicles were not revealed. Designers of from Renault though guarantee that their EV will be distinct from the range of EV’s emerging in the market today. They will make sure that consumers will know that it is a Renault EV when they see one on the road.

The car manufacturers seem to show some ingenuity with the designs as the different engine and set up give some freedom for a different look which gives emphasis to the environmental aspect of the vehicle.

The Renault EV is said to be around 13 ft in length and will come as a 5-door hatchback. We can expect more details and specs as the Frankfurt show nears. Aside from the new EV, there will also be an electric variant of the Megane, a Renault sedan. Another version of the Kangoo is also set to debut. Both of these EVs will reach dealerships in Europe in a couple of years.

Renault will also display their Quick Drop system which is set to address issues with regard to recharging electric cars. Quick Drop will allow switching of a dead battery into a fresh one in a matter of minutes. There will also be a plug-in system which will allow future EV owners to charge their environmentally friendly cars at home overnight.

At present, lack of infrastructure to meet the needs of electric cars is the missing link why the market segment has not yet boomed. With the products from Renault and other manufacturers, the hope of seeing EVs along our main roads in the near future may become a reality.

The four Renault models that were questioned for their safety risks are the following: Scenic, Megane, Megane Coupe-Cabriolet, and the Laguna. These alleged automobiles belong to Renault’s crème de la crème. According to Automotive News, the decision to halt the import was made by the General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of China.

The statement from AQSIQ read as follows: “We have repeatedly found batches of passenger vehicles made by the French Renault … do not conform with our country’s mandatory standards and relevant technical regulations, and there are serious safety risks.”

As far as China’s ill record for automobile safety with its locally made Brilliance BS6, Renault’s banned imports can be quite ironic and amusing. However, it is important to note that China is today’s largest market in automobiles, making the Renault ban a painful stab for the French automaker.

At present, the French company has yet to issue a statement. The spokesman for Renault only revealed that they were “surprised” with China’s decision to ban and question, taking into consideration that the banned models’ quality has been tested and evaluated in terms of press reviews and professional driving tests.

The new Clio RS receives some upgrades to perform like its bigger sibling the Megane RS. The treatment was just done to fit the compact image of the vehicle. The fuel mileage of the car was measured at 34.5mpg and CO2 emission recorded at 195g/km.

Under the hood of the Clio RS is a 16 valve 2.0L engine that can output 200 horspower or 149KW and maximum torque of 158 lb-ft. The power ratio is a beat peaky but the engine can still bring the car to 62 mph in just around seven seconds. The top speed of the Clio RS was recorded at 141 mph.

Buyers have two options in terms of the tuning of the chassis. One may go for the Cup version which is about 36kg lighter or the standard release which is a bit heavier than its sporty counterpart but a lot more comfortable.

The Clio RS models get the same aerodynamic package. They all have the front splitter for more downforce, a rear diffuser, and air extractors in the form of front wings.

Brembo brake calipers come standard to all models. The Clio RS roll on stylish 17-inch rims. Handling and stability during high speed were also improved for this release of the Clio.

The inside was designed for the comfort of all occupants. The car has Recaro seats coming in Anthracite, Silver Grey, or Yellow color treatments.

The Japanese car maker will be marketing ZEVs in the US by 2010 and has plans of marketing the ZEVs worldwide by 2012. This plan starts to materialize with the coast to coast promo of the Nissan Electronic Vehicle Prototype.

The Nissan-Renault Alliance will help the SDG&E group in building the foundation for the vital EV charging infrastructure. The collaboration will work with other agencies, companies, and institutions to implement the promotion of EVs around the country and ultimately build the network to charge batteries for these kind of vehicles.

Both companies expressed their excitement for a pioneer endeavor which will make San Diego a plug-in ready region for EVs.

The alliance between Renault and Nissan kicked of with similar initiatives in Denmark, Portugal, Israel, Monaco, Japan, and Kanagawa.

Cooperation was also established with electric companies like EDF of France and Energie Ouest Suisse of Switzerland. In the UK, it sealed a deal with the greentomatocars and electromotive UK. In the US, Nissan-Renault partnered with Tennessee, Arizona, California, and Oregon to promote no emission transport and the building of infrastructure needed by EVs.

According to the scoop in Autocar, the French electric vehicles will include an electric version of the Kangoo MPV, a new electric car patterned after the Megane sedan, and a new smaller 5-seater model.

At present time, Renault has been testing the electric versions of Megane Sedan in Israel, the results of which will serve as the basis for the production of several more electric vehicles by the same company. The electric version of Megane will be released in the market sometime in 2011 while the Kangoo MPV electric car will follow shortly.

While the new Renault electric vehicles will emerge as compact city cars, it will not have the boring and nondescript designs like its counterparts in other brands. The French automaker is eager to make the new green cars models fun and youthful with a unique look and cool driving features.

Expect these three Renault electric cars to make waves in the global market by 2012. Renault is eager to finish and perfect its production in time for the 2012 Olympics in London, as the company is planning to use the new electric vehicles for transportation for both the athletes and spectators. Talk about the perfect advertising scheme!