The Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet, the first car in Australia to be equipped with a folding glass roof as a standard feature, has been released by Renault Australia.

With four seats, luggage space worthy of a saloon, high levels of acoustic and driving comfort and good rear visibility, Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet has more to offer than conventional cabriolets.

The Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is powered by the same 2.0-litre petrol engine found in the Mégane Hatch vehicles and is available in Australia in one highly specified variant.

Designed by Renault's Corporate Design Department, Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is dynamic and balanced in both coupé and cabriolet configuration. Its modern, harmonious style features proportions worthy of a higher-segment model, with an overall length of 4.35 metres.

Only the front face, headlamps and bonnet are carried across from Mégane Hatch. The coupé-cabriolet has specially shaped front wings to extend the body sides and emphasize the car’s slenderness. The absence of door pillars or side trim strips also contributes to its refined character and flowing lines.

Inside, the light and airy interior ambience created by the folding glass roof is completely new to the market and enhances the specification in coupé configuration.

Apart from its purely aesthetic value, the roof, developed by Karmann, offers many advantages on Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet. It ensures permanent contact with the world outside and, combined with the pillarless door design, promotes enhanced all-round visibility. The feeling of enclosure inherent in conventional coupés and cabriolets is a thing of the past.

In addition, the roof guarantees both acoustic and thermal comfort through the use of 3.15mm thick Venus 40 heat reflective glass and a sliding sunshade. A heated rear window and the elimination of the risk of ageing or deterioration of the hood offset the usual disadvantages of cabriolets.

Operation of the roof is simple and quick. Opening and closing, performed by an electro-hydraulic mechanism, are entirely automatic and require no additional latching. Turning the car into a cabriolet takes just 22 seconds.

The Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is generously equipped and boasts leather upholstery, 16 inch alloy wheels, automatic light sensitive headlamps, automatic rain sensitive wipers, Renault’s keyless card and remote central locking system, CD player and radio with six speakers and satellite controls, electric door mirrors, four electric windows with one-touch opening and soft foam covered safety hoops as standard features.

An optional LX pack adds 17 inch alloy wheels and a six speaker, six CD in-dash stacker.

Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet provides four seats and interior space which is considerable for a coupé-cabriolet. The front seats have been lowered by 24mm (compared with Mégane Hatch) to ensure a sporting driving position and comfortable headroom in coupé configuration. The slope of the windscreen has been designed to provide the front seat passengers with maximum space and to reduce the “cap effect” inherent in cabriolets.

Access to the back seats is made easier by the position-memory of the front seat slides and seat backs.

Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet provides the largest luggage space in its class with a volume of 490 litres in coupé configuration, while the cabriolet offers a handy volume of 190 litres.

There are several stowage spaces including a cooled 17-litre glove box which is automatically locked whenever the doors are locked, to protect its contents from theft.

Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet confirms the progress made by Renault in the area of passive safety, with the 1.6-litre European model claiming five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests and being ranked as the safest vehicle in its class. The stiffness of the body has been designed to keep the cabin space intact in the event of a rollover with the aid of strengthened windscreen pillars, body sides and sills, and by two fixed hoops installed as standard. The third generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection and six airbags, including two anti-submarining airbags beneath the cushions of the front seats, provide occupants with optimum protection.

ABS brakes with electronic braking distribution and Emergency Brake Assist are standard.

A six-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission, variable-assist electric steering and the stability and accuracy of suspension movement ensure genuine driving pleasure.

The Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet will be priced from $47,990* (manual transmission) with the optional LX pack available for an additional $1,290, and automatic transmission adding $2,200.

Renault’s Managing Director, Rudi Koenig, said the arrival of the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet offers the brand an opportunity to showcase another unique design from Renault.

“The folding glass roof offers a number of advantages which set the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet apart from its competition,” said Mr Koenig.

“This stunning vehicle offers the advantages of both a Coupé and Cabriolet and will be the style leader of Renault’s Australian range when it goes on sale in November.”

*Pricing excludes dealer delivery, on-road costs and optional metallic paint.