Content
It’s not always the high-tech and performance focused two seatersportscars with lairy paintjobs which leave the crowd awestruck at motor shows. Sometimes, there is also an equally striking looking lot of hot hatchbacks which do the job just fine. At the 2014 Auto Expo, visitors were welcomed to the sight of two of the most popular hot hatchbackssold in Europe – the Renault Megane RS and the Suzuki Swift Sport.
Launched in 2009 and updated in 2012, the Megane RS is Renault’s flagship hot hatch. With an F1-inspired aerodynamic splitter at the front and a specially designed diffuser at the rear, the Megane RS screams lap times from the word go!
The Megane RS is powered by a 2-litre turbocharged engine which develops 265bhp and 360Nm of torque! To give you an idea of how potent the Renault really is: a base-spec Porsche Boxster puts out 265bhp and only 270Nm of torque.
Not too far off Renault’s show floor, Suzuki also has displayed its affordable yet very exciting Swift Sport. Carrying the same sporting DNA as the original model, the new Swift Sport is as sporty as affordable hot hatchbacks can get. Thanks to its 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 123bhp and 160Nm of torque, the Swift Sport can accelerate from zero to 100 kmph in 8.7 seconds. The little Suzuki is also known for being an able handler in the twisties, thanks to its sporty suspension and a short wheelbase.
Both Renault and Suzuki have no immediate plans of bringing the Megane RS and the Swift Sport to India. Now, although the Indian car market is expanding ever so slightly with newer breed of cars (Read: compact SUVs, sub-4 meter sedans and crossovers) it is really disappointing to note that the performance-focused hatchbacks are nearly nonexistent.
