Geneva 2010: Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet

Yes, the Geneva 2010 posts are coming - a month before the start of the show. That's the way things go in the industry, with Renault haven already taken the wraps off on the Wind and now the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet.

The Geneva Motor Show is a very important show that usually sees many large introductions. Let's check out the new Megane Coupe-Cabriolet.

The Megane has primarily gotten a lot of attention (well, from us anyway) for the Megane Renaultsport RS hot hatch. At CarThrottle we are fans of that car's good looks and impressive performance figures.

But, there are a lot of other models in the lineup as well - the Coupe Cariolet adds to the existing hatchback, coupe and sports tourer variants. Like its main competitor the Volkswagen Eos, it gets a retractable hardtop (Renault calls it a coupe-cabriolet).

One thing retractable hardtops have never been known for is aesthetics. The Megane bucks that, looking great with both the top up and top down. It achieves that by using its main trump card, an all-glass roof that has a black high-gloss finish.

The glass offers a transparent viewing area of 0.47 square metres (5 square feet). With the weightiness of all the glass, it isn't the sportiest model in the Megane lineup, but those looking for retractable hardtop likely have other priorities.

In typical Renault fashion, there are a wide range of configurations. Six gas and diesel engines are available, mated to 6-speed manual, dual-clutch and continuously variable transmissions.

We think Nissan needs to utilize its relationship with Renault to bring vehicles like this (and the coupe especially!) to the United States. For now though, the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet goes on sale in Spring of this year in European markets only.