Renault has launched its first diesel hot hatch, the Megane Renaultsport, powered by the 2.0dCi 175bhp engine and priced between £18,950 to £20,850.

It tops the eight model range and is available to order now in two trim levels dCi 175 and dCi 175 Lux and three and five-doors. The pricing puts them at £490 more than the equivalent petrol models.

Coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox, peak torque of 360Nm arrives at 2,000 rpm, while the maximum 175bhp is available at 3,750 rpm. The new flagship Mégane engine also achieves 0 to 62 mph in 8.3 seconds, and a top speed of 137 mph.

Combined fuel economy is 43.5 mpg and CO2 emissions 172g/km.