Renault Clio 2014 Review

There is a little touch of Godzilla about the new Renault Clio RS. Just like the Japanese juggernaut, the new French funster has a turbocharged engine with an entertaining soundtrack and is capable of punching above its weight.

But take a close look in the cabin and you find exactly the same gearshift paddles as the ones used in the GT-R, snitched for double duty thanks to family ties through the Renault-Nissan alliance.

The classy alloy paddles are no surprise in a new RS that's had a massive makeover as part of the Clio 4 conversion. The fourth-generation French baby now comes with five doors, a six-speed double-clutch gearbox, and even brakes taken from the V6-engined Laguna.

Australian buyers will get the sharper Cup chassis settings and standard RS equipment includes red-stitched leather sports seats, as well as the R-Link system that allows data logging and lap times for owners who want to hit the track on weekends.

"The Clio range is incredibly important to us. It's the return of an icon and the Renault Sport model is the halo over the range. It's the hero," the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide.

The pocket rocket goes up against a wide spread of rivals in Australia including the Mini Cooper S, Opel Corsa OPC and Volkswagen's Polo GTi, but is not coming for another year because of the slow ramp-up of production at Renault Sport in France.

When the RS does arrive, following the regular Clio in September, it is promised with a value price tag that will undercut the current $36,490 sticker.

I'm not exactly sure how it will perform down under, because the press preview drive in Spain put me into a Sports chassis for the majority of the driving. It's nice, and nicely compliant and mature, but misses the edginess I expect from a Clio RS. 

Track time in the Cup car promises the answers, but rain ruins it. I know it is a nicer car than Clio 3, but the course is flooded and it's like driving on ice, so the RS Cup cannot give its best. I'm convinced that it's a very good car, but I don't know if it will be great in Australia.

VALUE

Renault is doing a Toyota with the RS, committing to a price cut even though the car is not coming until 2014.

"It certainly won't be more than the outgoing car. That's $36,490," Hocevar reveals.

"And we've got capped price servicing at $299 with one service a year, so we have a good story for the customer. What does a Corolla cost to service? There are two a year, for a start."

Renault Australia has only sold 500 Clio RSs since the car returned to the range in 2007 and it could easily top that number in the first full year with Clio 4.

It's banking on the appeal of the five-door body, which boosts flexibility and includes a roomy boot - without any sort of spare - as well as plenty of standard equipment.

The RS gets the usual stuff including power steering, aircon and electric windows, but it's things like the body kit bits, bigger alloys, sports suspension and bigger brakes that boost the bottom line. There is a built-in bonus to the six-speed double clutch gearbox, which functions like an auto until you take manual control.

The Clio RS is not as cheap as a Skoda Fabia RS, or even the Polo GTi that sits in the same size line, but it is edgier and more exclusive.

TECHNOLOGY

Clio 4 is a much better base for the Renault Sport engineers, from the bigger footprint of the chassis to a smoother body and suspension that's better in coping with 147 kiloWatts and 240 Newton-metres of torque.

Some RS owners and fans will question the decision to switch to turbo power and bin the manual gearbox, but the turbo and EDC - efficient dual clutch - six-speed gearbox are typical of the moves across the performance car landscape. We've already seen it in cars up to the BMW M5.

There is lots of impressive stuff in the car, from an electronic launch control and hydraulic bump stops in the dampers to an electronic differential, as well as the R-Link infotainment system with data logging for track work. It also does well in engine efficiency, using just 6.3 litres/100 kilometres with CO2 of just 144 grams/kilometres.

Importantly, the Cup chassis is the choice for Australia to satisfy the proven customer preference. It sits three millimetres lower and gets springs that are more than 20 per cent stiffer, as well as special damper settings.

"We think the Cup chassis is what Australians will gravitate towards. That's been the experience with the Megane. Early in life of Clio there was Sport and Cup, but then we just started doing the Cup chassis," Hocevar says.

On the electronic side, there is a three-position system that runs from Normal to Sport and Race, sharpening throttle response, adding more heft to the steering, cutting electronic intervention and making for quicker shifts with full manual control of the gearbox.

Hold the left-hand paddle and it even makes multiple downshifts, something previously only seen in the Ferrari 458 and McLaren MP4-12C.

DESIGN

The Clio RS is cute more than crazy. It looks sharp with twin exhausts and 17-inch alloys - 18s are optional - as well as red stitching on the seats and colour highlights in other areas of the cabin.

The basic work on Clio 4 means the back seat is pretty roomy, the boot space is useful and it's a quiet car. There are sports bucket seats in the RS, and alloy pedals, as well as those shift paddles and a dashboard that integrates the R-Link system very well.

SAFETY

The regular Clio is a five-star car that actually topped its class in European crash tests, which is good news also for the RS.

Predictably, there is a full suite of airbags and electronic stability and braking controls, although - no surprise at the size and price - no sign of radar cruise control or automatic braking systems.

The R-Link system is expected to be standard for Australia, which brings a rear camera in addition to parking radar.

DRIVING

I have driven a bunch of Renault Sport cars and I came to the new Clio with baggage. I expected it to be a rorty little roller skate with an over-sharp focus on WRX-style thrills.

But the Clio is sensible and refined, surprisingly mature but also plenty quick with a 0-100km/h below seven seconds. It also cranks up plenty of aural action, helped by the twin-pipe exhaust and a tube that feeds inlet sounds into the cabin.

I'm immediately impressed by the comfort and cabin quality, even though there is a lot of hard plastic and some switches are tucked away, and when I ease into the traffic in Spain the car is quiet and compliant.

I'm surprised by the punch from an engine with only 1.6 litres, but not by the slick and quick shifts from the EDC gearbox. It works fine as an auto and is great for manual changes, although the paddles are a better choice than the long-throw lever and the pedals are too close for comfortable left-foot braking.

But … here it comes … I'm driving the Clio Sport and not the Cup car we'll get in Australia. That means it lacks the track-tautness of other Renault Sport models, although the brakes are good, it grips very well in turns, and there is plenty of performance.

So I'm looking forward to track time in a Cup car on a tight-and-twisty course. Until it rains. The track is like ice and, even though the Clio RS is great fun, I want more. I want to know how it rides, if it's too noisy, if it delivers the thrills I expect from an all-out Renault Sport rocket.

The surface dries a little and my second run shows there is great compliance and no crash-bang nasties over kerbs, as well as a great response from the engine and genuine enjoyment from the double-clutch six speed. But it's still too damp to really, really know.

So, as I slide back into a Sport model for the run back to the airport, I'm happy and impressed. But I still have too many questions to give you all the answers.

VERDICT

Everything points to a Renault Sport winner that is going to make the new Clio a cult hero.

Renault Clio RS
Price: less than $36,490
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km
Service Interval: 12 months/15,000km
Safety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC
Crash rating: 5 stars
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo petrol, 147kW/240Nm
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch; FWD
Thirst: 6.3L/100km, 144g/km CO2
Dimensions: 4.09m (L), 1.73m (W), 1.43m (H)
Weight: 1204kg
Spare: none