Hot new Clio RS driven
FIRST UK DRIVE There’s still no manual box, but hot hatch thrills as we drive it on UK roads
RENAULT will finally complete its total range revamp when the new Scenic goes on sale in the UK later this year. Every model from the Captur to the Kadjar now has a recognisable family face, with prominent diamond logo and bold front-end styling – as well as cutting-edge tech inside and out.
The overhaul started four years ago with the popular Clio supermini – a model that made its name back in 1991 by superseding the iconic Renault 5. It was the first car to use Laurens van den Acker’s new design language, and proved a hit across the globe.
Determined not to rest on its laurels, Renault has injected the fourth-generation Clio with a series of mid-life updates for 2016. Yet while the humble petrol and diesel models will take the lion’s share of sales, Renault’s history of archetypal hot hatches means a fresh RS is always an exciting test. This is our first taste of the new Clio on UK roads.
The 220 Trophy model sits above the standard RS and is now a permanent fixture in the range. It commands a sizeable £2,700 premium over the normal car, but adds an extra 20bhp, as well as bigger 18-inch wheels and lowered suspension.
Revised front and rear lights also feature, as do new bumpers and the eye-catching three-piece LED foglamps from Renault’s R.S. 16 concept. It ensures this new model stands out – only helped by the £1,300 Liquid Yellow paint on our test car.
Inside, you’ll find a host of updated materials and a logically laid-out dash. The Trophy gets the easy-to-use R-link Multimedia system, too, with a seven-inch screen and Tomtom sat-nav. It’s nicely built, but the leather trim is an extra £1,250.
Behind the wheel, the steering is as precise as ever and offers decent feedback, and while there isn’t quite as much grip as in a Ford Fiesta ST, turn-in is excellent and there’s enough composure to lean on the car through tighter bends. The Trophy’s stiffer shock absorbers and rear springs, along with the shorter-ratio steering rack, make it remarkably playful on the right road. The brakes are strong, too.
But don’t think the lowered suspension and stiffer shocks mean a back-breaking ride. It is firm, but the new Trophy doesn’t crash over rougher surfaces. It manages to soften harsh expansion joints without compromising agility – making it pleasantly
“Renault’s history of archetypal hot hatches means a fresh Clio RS is always an exciting test”
refined for a hot hatch, with little in the way of wind or road noise. There’s no annoying drone from that excellent (£900) Akrapovic sports exhaust, either. Unlike the Fiesta, which tends to hum noisily at motorway speeds, the RS just goes about its business quietly and confidently. Floor the throttle and it’ll instantly awaken, though, with pleasing parps on full-bore upshifts. It adds another dimension to the hot hatch, and will have you reaching for the RS button on each and every journey.
However, the outgoing model gained extensive criticism for its automatic-only transmission, and fans will be disappointed to hear this facelifted car doesn’t rectify this. Renault teased us with the R.S. 16 concept this year, but still refuses to fit a manual gearbox to an RS you can actually buy.
As dual-clutch set-ups go, the box is up there with the best, although it robs the Clio of that last degree of involvement. It’s a perfectly plausible solution in stop-start traffic, but break free from the city streets, and you’re left longing for a short-throw gearlever.
The revised RS continues to hold on to its gears a little too long, and while you can take control via the tactile, aluminium paddles in manual mode, unless you fiddle with the computer menus, it’ll still change up of its own accord as you hit the red line. Changes are smooth, though, and they each happen in the blink of an eye.
It’s not as rewarding as the six-speed manual in a Volkswagen Polo GTI, then, but that doesn’t affect performance. The Clio RS Trophy will do 0-62mph in just 6.6 seconds and hit 146mph flat out – meaning even Ford’s new Fiesta ST200 is a tenth of a second slower for the benchmark sprint.
The dual-clutch set-up also helps with claimed fuel economy, which stands at 47.9mpg, despite the impressive turn of pace. CO2 emissions of 135g/km put it in the same annual tax band as the Ford, however.