Expectations are high. The Renault 5 Alpine*, R5 Turbo, 5 GT Turbo, Clio 16V, Clio Williams, Clio 172 and Clio 182 were all legendary cars in their own right – fast, fun and, above all, fabulously French. Any new hot hatch from Renault must meet the heady standards set by these fantastic cars. The question is: is the Clio Renault Sport man enough for the job? Erm, no. Not in terms of styling, at any rate. The Clio Renault Sport 197’s bodywork might have been heavily revised but it’s still ridiculously pretty. Oh sure, it’s got broader wings and bumpers to accommodate pretty 17” alloys, as well as a neat rear air diffuser (generating 30kg of downforce and negating the spoiler) but the overall effect is like having a girlfriend who’s suddenly taken to going to the gym and now has toned thighs and buttocks of steel.
More attractive? You betcha. Any less likely to sob their way through Bridget Jones? Not a chance. Inside, the upgrades are even more subtle. The deep buckets not only look fab, they’re also very supportive, while the pedals are now aluminium items that are perfectly arranged for heel-toe downshifts. The steering is stock but padded in thick leather with a distracting red band at the top and is adjustable for rake and reach, making it reasonably easy for taller drivers to get comfortable. And that’s about it in terms of changes. Cruise control and air conditioning are standard, but leather and climate control aren’t included for your €32,000. Under the bonnet, Renault uses a normally aspirated, 2.0-litre engine just as it has with every hot Clio.
While its figures (197hp and 215Nm) are reasonably impressive, peak power doesn’t appear until 7,250rpm and you need 5,550rpm to generate maximum torque. In other words, you have to thrash it mercilessly to get anything from it. Sure, there’s a slick six-speed gearbox and with 0-100km/h possible in just 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 215km/h it’s not short of performance if you’re willing to go looking for it. The problem is you always have to go looking for it: traffic gaps, inclines, overtaking – they all take planning and commitment. Renault knows this and has geared the Clio to be as perky as possible in each gear (tiresomely so on the motorway) but there’s just no substitute for good old-fashioned torque. Buzzy cruising aside, the Clio is extremely refined with an amazingly supple suspension that seems to soak up just about every bump and pothole Irish roads can throw at it. At full tilt this suppleness helps it to feel stable and safe over all kinds of surfaces while its lag-free throttle and powerful, four-calliper Brembo brakes mean you feel very much in control of proceedings. Grip levels, too, are astonishing for such a small car, holding its line with impressive resolve even when accelerating out of tight corners, though lovers of lift-off oversteer will find it a little underwhelming.
The only area in which the Clio disappoints is in terms of its steering, which is sharp and responsive but rather lacking in proper feedback and weight. It’s a shame because in every other respect the Clio is a dynamic match for any of its rivals. Sadly, it lacks the pure, unfiltered involvement we’ve come to expect. So has the Clio the bottle to square up to its predecessors? Of course it does. It’s just as pretty, just as quick and almost as amusing as any of its forebears (taken in the context of the times, of course) while feeling more solid and safer than we ever thought a small Renault could. How it will compare to the new Corsa OPC and Peugeot 207 GTi, however, is another matter.
INFO
Engine 2.0 litre 4-cylinder, 197hp,
215Nm torque
Transmission 6-speed manual
Acceleration 0-100km/h 6.9 seconds
Top speed 215 km/h
Economy 8.9 litres/100 km
CO2 Emissions 209 g/km
Weight 1,240kg
Boot Capacity 288 litres
Price €32,000
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