Photo: original image by autoevolution
Renault’s RS division has always been brilliant at building spicy cars that were also manageable. With the new Clio RS 200 EDC though, they’ve tipped the balance towards the comfy stuff, as we discovered during our review.
This is not to say the new Clio RS is slow. In fact, it’s one of the fastest in its class - a glance at the spec sheet reveals the Renault tops most competitors when it comes to acceleration. Instead, we are talking about the feelings and emotions you get behind the wheel.
The old Clio RS used to be this crazy little brother of the calculated Megane RS. It liked to kick the back out when you went off the gas mid-corner and to keep you on your toes throughout the day.
The new one is tamer, as Renault wanted the thing to appeal to a broader audience. Nonetheless, the chassis is one of the most balanced we’ve seen in a hot hatch. While you can’t feel as crazy as you did before, this asset means you can push the tail out to delicious slip angles and still be able to bring the car back in line.
As for the grunt, the naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter unit had made room for a turbo-fed 1.6-liter mill. The power hasn’t changed, but in the torque department, things have climbed from 214 Nm (158 lb-ft) to 240 Nm (177 lb-ft).
Moreover, the new engine has about 35 kg (77 lbs) less to carry around, despite the fact that the Clio has grown a bit in size. We’re fine with the new powerplant, but it’s the EDC dual clutch transmission that doesn’t quite meet our expectations. This is not slow, but it’s certainly no match for VW’s DSG, the reference in the segment.
We drove the Cup chassis, whose springs are 15 percent stiffer, while the car loses 3 mm of ride height and features a swifter steering. Even in this configuration, the Clio RS is totally manageable in any kind of urban driving situation you can imagine.
Add the new “five-door-only” shape, offered for any Clio, not just the RS and you end up with a car that doesn’t tax you too much for its insanity. As for what this madness actually means, we’ll go though the details in our Renault Clio RS 200 review.
The old Clio RS used to be this crazy little brother of the calculated Megane RS. It liked to kick the back out when you went off the gas mid-corner and to keep you on your toes throughout the day.
The new one is tamer, as Renault wanted the thing to appeal to a broader audience. Nonetheless, the chassis is one of the most balanced we’ve seen in a hot hatch. While you can’t feel as crazy as you did before, this asset means you can push the tail out to delicious slip angles and still be able to bring the car back in line.
As for the grunt, the naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter unit had made room for a turbo-fed 1.6-liter mill. The power hasn’t changed, but in the torque department, things have climbed from 214 Nm (158 lb-ft) to 240 Nm (177 lb-ft).
Moreover, the new engine has about 35 kg (77 lbs) less to carry around, despite the fact that the Clio has grown a bit in size. We’re fine with the new powerplant, but it’s the EDC dual clutch transmission that doesn’t quite meet our expectations. This is not slow, but it’s certainly no match for VW’s DSG, the reference in the segment.
We drove the Cup chassis, whose springs are 15 percent stiffer, while the car loses 3 mm of ride height and features a swifter steering. Even in this configuration, the Clio RS is totally manageable in any kind of urban driving situation you can imagine.
Add the new “five-door-only” shape, offered for any Clio, not just the RS and you end up with a car that doesn’t tax you too much for its insanity. As for what this madness actually means, we’ll go though the details in our Renault Clio RS 200 review.
Google News