RENAULT Australia enjoys great success with its hardcore Megane RS 265, but the run-of-the-mill hatch on which it is based is a niche player at best.

The third-generation model, launched here in 2010 and now the subject of the range update reviewed here, may be the French car-maker’s top-seller overall, but it still lags behind small European royalty such as the Golf in the sales race.

Fittingly, then, Renault has breathed some extra life into the local range by adding a stylish wagon variant, a perky new entry-level manual hatch (arriving in September) and a comparatively dashing mid-spec GT-Line.

Music to the ears of RS enthusiasts, it has also launched a limited edition GT220 hot-wagon, engineered by the same Renault Sport performance arm responsible for the bonkers Megane RS265 and Clio RS.

So it’s clear this overhaul expands the range significantly, but is it enough to help Renault claw back sales from some of the small car big guns?

Click here for the full review...