Renault Gets 2011 Off To Flying Start With Best Hot Hatch Trophy At What Car? Awards

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA – January 20, 2011: After driving away with an unprecedented hot-hatch triple win at last year’s What Car? Awards including Best Hot Hatch, Renault is enjoying the spoils once more, after achieving the same impressive feat in 2011.

In spite of a series of new and revised contenders to the crown in each of the three Hot Hatch price categories, Renault’s pocket-rockets swept the board.

Topping the bill yet again was Renault Sport’s finest, the Mégane Renault Sport 250 Cup. Renault’s performance flagship stormed to victory in the over £20,000 group, holding off a series of high-performance challengers who could not wrestle away its hard-earned ‘Best Hot Hatch’ title for the second year running.

Its smaller, but equally desirable and impressive handling brother, Clio Renault Sport 200 Cup, triumphed yet again in the £15,000 to £20,000 section, with the baby of the trio, Twingo Renault Sport 133 Cup, leaving the opposition trailing in its wake in the under £15,000 category.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-chief of What Car? commented, “This is the second year running that Renault has dominated the hot hatch category at our Awards and the second year running that the Mégane Renault sport 250 Cup has won our Best Hot Hatch Award. Renault clearly knows a thing or two about putting smiles on our faces with a range of thrilling hot hatches that are great fun and well-priced. The best of the bunch, the Mégane, has that rare blend of talents that make it a true hot hatch great.”

Australian critics have been similarly in awe of the Mégane Renault Sport 250, securing Top Gear Magazine’s overall Car of the Year, and Hot Hatch of the Year, Drive Car of the Year Award for Performance Cars under $60,000, as well as finishing strongly in the Wheels Car of the Year Awards.