Renault Clio RS 2014 review

Renault's RS (Renault Sport) brand has plenty of cachet among those who know their cars. It's pretty much the French AMG but when you boil it all down, Renault Sport's links with Formula 1 racing put it on higher ground. This is clearly evident in the latest offering from Renault -- the new Clio RS 200 EDC.

Bristling with clever go-fast technology as well as luxury and infotainment kit, Clio RS enters a growing light hot hatch segment with perhaps half a dozen competitors including the VW Polo GTi, Ford Fiesta ST, Peugeot 208 GTi, and Skoda Fabia RS.

Price and features

It's the ultimate Clio model selling in a four model range; RS Sport in standard and Trophy spec and RS Cup in standard and Trophy spec, with prices ranging from $28,790 to $36,790. It's a bit more than some of the competitors but when you take into account the standard dual clutch 'manumatic' transmission, five-door body, satnav and launch control -- optional on some of the competition -- RS prices are keen.

The body has numerous detail changes over 'normal' Clios, getting  an under-bumper front blade, gloss black body hardware, LED driving lights, twin wide spaced exhausts, rear diffuser, and up to 18-inch wheels.

The interior is highlighted in red stitching and contains driving telemetry, sports seats, comprehensive infotainment connectivity, premium audio, cruise, climate control and a host of other goodies. It's a five star NCAP car and is actually larger than a typical 'light' car moving more towards 'small' size.

Engine / transmission

The 1.6-litre turbo is a new generation engine from Renault and features direct fuel injection, variable cam timing both sides, a low inertia turbo, optimised inlet and exhaust tracts and even an acoustic pitch tune to make it sound extra good. Output is a handy 147kW/240Nm, the latter from 1750rpm.

The six speed dual clutch transmission with paddle shift is from Getrag, fettled by Renault Sport for crisper operation. It propels the Clio RS from 0-100kmh in around 6.0 seconds with the launch control in use and consumes as little as 6.3-litres/100km of premium.

Chassis

The chassis is all Renault Sport's work and features clever hydraulic bump stops integrated into the dampers  -- a damper within a damper, if you will. There's an electronic diff to control power distribution and a form of torque vectoring to hold the RS on the road better when pushing hard. Powerful braking is delivered by the 320mm disc brakes lifted from Renault's Laguna V6.

Driving

Clio RS is more versatile than previous models, a more liveable vehicle but in saying that, it's also a red hot performer thanks to the dynamite chassis calibration and potent engine. As expected the drive feel is fabulous offering stupendous acceleration and cornering in a totally controlled package.

The dual clutch transmission is perfectly geared to capture all available engine output and gives rapid-fire changes up and down.
It sits flat through turns but retains a large measure of comfort and control over rough surfaces. Steering is pin sharp and displays no backlash or torque steering tendencies.

Clio RS is in a sense a GT style car rather than a point and squirt track day weapon like the excellent Ford Fiesta ST. But you can still put the Clio on the track and come away with a big smile.

The Cup chassis takes things further with stiffer springs and dampers, a lower ride height, larger wheels and what's called RS Drive that offers Normal, Sport and Race modes altering throttle response, stability control, steering and gear changes to suit. It's a tempting point of difference in the segment and once experienced, could be a deal breaker for the competition.

Verdict

Want one, in the bright yellow with the big wheels please.