Renault has given its Megane a raft of tweaks for 2012, including mild styling revisions, some trim and engine changes and a good deal of noise about 'improved quality'.
By far the most interesting update, however, is that the Megane Renaultsport gets the power upgrades from last summer's limited-edition Megane Trophy, morphing the Megane Renaultsport 250 into the Megane Renaultsport 265.
As the name implies, the car now gets 265hp, 15hp more than before, as well as an extra 15lb ft of torque, bringing that up to 266lb ft (provided you select 'sport mode in Renault's new 'Renaultsport Dynamic Management'). That's enough to push the hot hatch from 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds dead and on to a top speed of 158mph.
A new, more open exhaust design with a 'reinforced sound pipe' (no we're not sure either), meanwhile, ensures (says Renault) a "a satisfying pitch at all revs". Jolly good.
As for visual tweaks, the 'blade' on the car's nose now features two banks of six-LED DRLs, while the headlights get black surrounds. The centre of the new 18-inch alloys, as well as the 19-inch wheels, now feature an 'R.S.' logo, and a new option is the Renaultsport Red Design Pack, which consists of red striping for the front blade, side sills and diffuser.
The 2012 tweaks to Renault's Megane range will come into effect in the UK in April.