Renault's sporty new Mégane hatchback has made its debut at the Paris Motor Show.

The new Mégane family will consist of six new models by 2010, with the five-door hatchback, priced from £13,995, launching in the UK in November.

Renault says the bigger and roomier car features 'impressive driving dynamics, high levels of quality and new technology, and a range of powerful and refined engines'.

A Renault spokesman said: "The new Megane is poised to lay down the gauntlet to its lower-medium rivals, including the next-generation VW Golf. It is the successor to one of Europe’s best-selling cars and ushers in a new era of styling, handling and quality." The car's interior is equipped with practical, comfort-enhancing features. These include combined analogue/digital instruments with a new, easier-to-read colour-coded cruise control/speed limiter interface. The list continues with equipment normally associated with a higher segment, such as hands-free entry and ignition, automatic locking as the driver walks away from the car, Carminat Bluetooth CD navigation system and a custom-developed audio system (3D Sound by Arkamys). The engine range will include four diesel engines that can claim CO2 emissions equal to, or less than, 120g/km.

Renault says the car has been designed to offer best-in-class safety too. Among its features will be double side-impact sensors and dual-chamber airbags as seen on Laguna III, aimed at minimising the consequences of a side-on collision.

The spokesman added: "It is also a socially responsible car which is 95 per cent end-of-life recoverable by weight, while almost 12 per cent of the plastics it contains are sourced from recycling, equivalent to an average of 22kg per car."