Open house at Renault

The French carmaker will bring not one, but two new drop-top models to the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The smaller of the two is the brand-new Wind, based on the Twingo. At 3.83 meters long, the Wind seats two and provides 270 litres of baggage space. The electric roof pivots open in just 12 seconds, and does not intrude into the baggage compartment.

The second newcomer is the Coupé-Cabriolet version of the current Mégane-series. The open-top Mégane is 4.485 mm long – 190 millimetres longer than the five-door hatchback. It has ample room for four people, and – thanks in no small part to a fixed glass wind deflector – provides draft-free driving for all four at speeds of up to 90kph. When used in conjunction with the removable mesh deflector screen located behind the front seats, it allows the backseat passengers to travel free from buffeting whatever the speed.

The two-piece roof lowers in 21 seconds at the press of a button. It offers a transparent glazed area of 0.47 square metres – a segment best, according to Renault. In this case, however, the lowered roof will have an effect on the available baggage space. With the roof down, the capacity is reduced from 417 to 211 litres.

Six engines will be available in Europe. The petrol engines are rated at 110, 130 and 140 HP, the diesels at 110, 130 and 160 HP.

Further details will be available at the launch of the cars on March 2^nd.