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2017 Renault Clio 1.2 TCe Acceleration Test Proves Some Manuals Are Faster

Renault presented the mid-life facelift for the Clio range at the Paris Motor Show, and everybody was unimpressed. There's no particular model that's faster than before... or so we thought.
2017 Renault Clio 1.2 TCe Acceleration Test Proves Some Manuals Are Faster 17 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
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This acceleration test features the Clio GT-Line, a body kit added on top of the regular model. But it's actually faster than the Clio GT.

Why? Because the Clio GT comes as standard with an EDC gearbox, while this has a regular 5-speed manual. Generally speaking, the higher the power of an engine, the better a job the auto will do. But we're only dealing with a 1.2-liter mill, not your average Porsche monster.

According to this independent acceleration test, the 2017 Clio GT-Line reaches 100 km/h in only 9 seconds, 0.4s faster than its auto-only predecessor. That's backed up by the official claim of the manufacturer, which is also 9.0 seconds.

The weight figures are all over the place, but nearly every twin-clutch gearbox adds 40-50 kilos to the car. Also, this new version of the 1.2 TCe engine has gained 15 Nm of torque for a total of 205 Nm.

The way we see it, the GT-Line body kit has everything the Clio GT had, including 17-inch wheels, a diffuser tail, that odd-shaped exhaust and interior touches.

But we get why the auto-only GT model has its appeal. If you're a young driver that just passed his test a year ago, and you want to look like a hero, something like this is right up your alley. The turbo engine has a kick, and you just want to have a second glance of that body kit once it's parked.

But there's a price to pay, as the 120 horsepower engine and GT-Line body kit boost the price to €21,250 in France. That's dangerously close to the €20,750 MINI Cooper (price in France) which has a much punchier 1.5-liter turbo engine. Renault doesn't have a good answer to that or the multitude of VW Group models equipped with the 1.4 TSI.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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