According to Germany’s Manager-Magazin, Mercedes-Benz has approached Renault about cooperating in the development of a new small car. Although conversations have just started, it seems that Smart could once again have a four-seat car in its lineup.

This would be the second attempt to develop such a model, after the original sales flop of the ForFour. That model, shown above, was c-odeveloped with Mitsubishi and shared the Colt’s underpinnings. Rumors about such new model are not new, but the German publication points that the company’s strategy relies on selling more subcompact premium cars. Developing the new A and B Class models can be pursued as an in-house development, but the family Smart would apparently require a partner.

Source Autoblog

Renault is unveiling a new compact car, and hot hatch enthusiasts know what that means: a new Renaultsport variant will follow.

The French automaker’s performance division continues to roll out some the hottest compacts in the business, so when the wraps came off the third-generation Megane in Paris this past fall, it was only a matter of time before the tuned-up sport version would follow, and reports now indicate that it’ll arrive this March at the Geneva Motor Show.

For this latest generation of Megane, Renault continues to differentiate the sporty three-door from the more utilitarian five-door model, but the RS version promises to raise the bar yet again. Taking cues from the Megane Trophy racer (pictured above) also unveiled at the Paris show, the new Megane RS is tipped to feature a wider track, flared wheel arches, a wing bisecting the front air dam, and a center-exit exhaust. Power is expected to come from the company’s 2.0-liter turbo, but tuned to produce 250 horsepower. The requisite chassis tuning, optional limited slip differential and beefy Brembo brakes promise to round out the package.

Source Autoblog