Renault introduced the Megane lineup as a replacement for the model 19 in 1995 as a hatchback and the sedan version in 1996.
The French carmaker was not completely ready to give up on its former Renault 19 Chamade (three-box sedan version) and kept it on the production lines in Turkey, but its sales were limited to specific countries. Meanwhile, the Megane Sedan began its career. While the hatchback version was the standard for the compact segment, many customers considered the sedan shape as an upmarket product and asked for it.

Patrick le Quement was in charge of Renault’s design department when he approved the Megane project in 1991. He insisted on keeping the “bird beak” front fascia as a signature for the carmaker. Even the headlights followed a bird-eye shape. The car featured the same front windshield but a different shape after the B-pillar. A flat trunk lid continued its rounded greenhouse and raked-forward windscreen.

Inside, Renault installed a low-budget interior for the vehicles built in Turkey and better materials for those produced in France. The rounded dashboard design sported oval vents and a wide instrument cluster extended above the center stack. On the base trim level, it featured cranked windows, with an option for power-operated ones.

Like the rest of the Megane range, the Megane sedan shared most of its engines with the Renault 19. Later on, the carmaker added new versions either more fuel-efficient or more powerful.