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The Clio Renault Sport, launched to the SA media in a rainswept Cape, costs a quarter of a million rand. My first reaction was to flinch at the price, even for what is a beautifully driveable little vehicle, a sports car for those who know what motoring is all about.
The 2-litre motor puts out 147.5kW and 225Nm. It now has a top speed of 215km/h and, perhaps most importantly for those who know about these things, can go from standstill to 100km/h in under seven seconds (Renault claim 6.9).
The benchmark hot hatch is the VW Golf GTI. Sticking to the numbers game, its 2-litre (turbo) whacks out 155kW and a monstrous 350Nm. Top speed is 240km/h and the 0-100km/h time is claimed to be 6 seconds dead.
But … the Golf GTI now costs R317 000. That makes the Clio RS a bargain. And when you consider that the difference in top speed doesn’t count for all that much, the speed limit being what it is … do you want to pay nearly R70 000 more for less than a second on a 0-100 sprint?
Other rivals in the Clio RS price range include far less powerful cars, such as the Fiat Bravo 1.4 T-Jet Sport at R247 700, with a 1.4 turbocharged motor producing 110kW and 230Nm, a top speed of 212km/h and a 0-100 time of around 8.9 seconds.
You can get an Alfa 147 2-litre Distinctive (a three-door, like the Clio RS) for the same price as Renault’s pride and joy. But it has nothing like the performance of the Clio.
The same goes for the Audi A3 1.4T FSI and the Renault Megane GT, both in the same price range as the Clio RS but completely out of their depth against it in the go-faster stakes.
Spiritually, if one may use such a word in connection with cars, a close competitor should be the Mini Cooper S. It costs just over R270 000, puts out 128kW and 240Nm from its 1.6-litre turbo, has a top speed of 228km/h but, according to a respected SA car magazine, takes a touch over 8 seconds to do 0-100km/h.
Part of the Clio RS’s success in the sprint times is that the first, second and third gears have been shortened. It’s this sort of clever thinking, and the fact that more torque is now available at lower revs, that sets it apart.
Because of the rain lashing the Cape at the time, a session with the Clio RS at the Killarney track was called off. We had to be content with a ride-and-drive on some of the many twisty and picturesque back roads in the area. While there were few opportunities to let this little racing car properly off its leash, we did get to experience the tremendously growly sound it produces, as well as get a hint of the improved grunt and bite.
It’s a bit more sporty looking than before, without going the engine-scoop, huge-front-airdam or rear-spoiler route. But it does boast a rear diffuser (incorporating the twin large-bore exhausts) and air-extractors in the front wings, just ahead of the doors. One of the things that struck me about the first Clio Sport I drove, a few years ago, was how ordinary it looked. It made the performance all the more surprising and delightful.
This Clio RS is more “out there”, in-your-face in a French kind of way. The claimed sprint time matches or beats that of far more expensive vehicles and should make it an absolute joy to drive in traffic, on the open road or even (perhaps especially) on a track. Damn that Cape rain …
The Clio RS comes with a free performance-car advanced driving course, as well as a three-year/45 000km service plan (services every 15 000km) and a three-year 100 000km guarantee.
While it is a focused performance car it’s not exactly feature-free, boasting Renault Sport seats, a rev-counter shift warning, cruise control and climate control, cornering lights and rain sensors, to name but a few. A GPS (R5000 extra), sunroof and leather seats are options.
The news is that there are now only two Renault Clios available in South Africa. – a 1.6 Dynamique and a sizzling 2-litre RenaultSport.
This is quite a change from the wide range of Clios on sale until now. The number of models has been drastically cut because Renault does not want the Clio to compete with its new cheaper models, including the Logan, Sandero and Twingo. Clio (whose cheapest versions were once the French carmaker’s entry-level offerings) is now seen as a highly specced, upper-range hatchback competitor. This is reflected in the R188 000 price tag of the 1.6 Dynamique, and the fact that its standard features includes built-in satellite navigation system. Integrated sat-nav has, until now, been the preserve of far more expensive cars. (I’ll get to the Clio RenaultSport in my next blog – each of these cars deserve their own review.)
An auto version of the 1.6 Dynamique is being considered, and a cheaper 1.6 will come to SA next year.
At the launch of the updated Clios in Stellenbosch the other day, straight-talking Xavier Gobile, MD of Renault SA, outlined the impressive gains made by the company in recent times. Every promise made, he said, had been kept, and Renault was well on the way to revising its entire lineup, which would give it the freshest range in SA.
The Clio pair were a important part of this plan, he added.
Since 1990 almost 10 million Clios have been sold in more than 100 countries.
It is one of the most reliable cars in the B-segment, say Renault, quoting JD Power & ADAC quality and reliability surveys.
The Clio is still the only car to have been awarded the European Car of the Year title twice – in 1991 following the world launch of the Clio I, and in 2006 with the latest-generation Clio. The Clio II was awarded the SA Car of the Year title in 2000.
It was the first car in its class to obtain a four-star Euro NCAP crash test rating in 2000, and the first to secure the maximum five-star score in 2005.
Renault says the new Clio delivers a C-segment rivalling package for the price of a B-segment hatchback. In design terms, it achieves a more streamlined silhouette, thanks to its extended overall length (up by 41 mm).
Inside, say Renault, the sense of roominess is underscored by what it calls the generous 866 mm of headroom at the rear, allowing comfortable seating for occupants taller than 1,88 m. In the front I found the car felt narrow, so two average-sized men sitting alongside each other could not help brushing an arm here and a hand there …
Highlights include new contoured headlamps, as well as a front bumper design incorporating a broad air intake and front fog lamps.
At the rear, the waistline is extended through the use of new light clusters, and the bumper has been revised.
The interior reflects a sense of quality, thanks to the dashboard’s soft-touch finish, and the high-quality dark charcoal trim. The controls include new steering wheel-mounted stalks and the cruise control and speed limiter switch are on the centre console.
An electric opening panoramic sunroof is an optional extra.
This latest Clio is the only B-segment model that can be ordered with an optional hands-free card that permits entry to the vehicle, as well as start-up, without the driver needing to extract the card out of a pocket or handbag.
An 80-watt RadioSat Classic audio system is standard, featuring six speakers, an MP3-compatable CD player, MP3 file name display and an RCA socket in front of the gear lever.
The Plug & Music function enables iPods and other USB-compatible MP3 players – including USB keys – to be connected via a USB socket. Bluetooth integration permits hands-free use of the telephone using the vehicle’s own loudspeakers.
Over and above the old 1.6 Dynamique’s standard features, the new Clio gains cruise control with a speed limiter, cornering lights, climate control, a combined rain and light sensor (auto-on night lights and windscreen wipers), electric rear windows, and heated electric folding mirrors.
The Carminat TomTom satellite navigation system is another first for this segment.
Developed by Renault and TomTom, it is a fully integrated navigation system that offers greater theft and accident protection compared to stand-alone GPS units. Boasting a 15 cm colour screen, it delivers navigation guidance, along with traffic information, speed restriction warnings and fixed speed camera alerts.
The screen also serves as the multimedia display, and is positioned high up on the dashboard for maximum driver visibility. Vocal navigation instructions are transmitted via the vehicle’s speakers, controlled by the steering wheel-mounted fingertip remote control.
A separate remote control is also provided and the unit can be easily updated and customised on-line by means of the supplied 2Go SD card.
The Dynamique has the same 16-valve, 1.6-litre engine used in previous models, with a five-speed gearbox. It puts out 83 kW at 6 000 r/min, with a torque peak of 151 Nm at 4 250 r/min. Renaults have a good reputation for fuel consumption and this Clio has a claimed 6,6 l/100 km.
The Dynamique features a revised electric power steering system for more refined and more precise steering response and has larger wheels and tyres than its predecessor. The standard wheels are now 16-inch alloys, shod with 195/50 R16 low-profile tyres in the interests of improved grip and road holding.
On an extended drive through mist-covered Cape winelands and mountain passes, on wet slippery roads, the Dynamique never felt less than firm and stable.
Performance from the 1.6-litre motor was surprisingly responsive and willing, a real pleasure.
ABS brakes are linked to Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). The new Clio has a full complement of airbags for the driver and passenger, including front side airbags, curtain airbags and anti-submarining knee airbags. A three-year/45 000 km service plan is standard, backed by Renault’s three-year/100 000 km warranty. Also included is Renault Confiance, a care package designed to ensure peace-of-mind motoring Service intervals are every 15 000 km. There is a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty.
I expect the refocused Clio to do well and look forward to its success. These are well-made cars that were let down for some years by perceptions that grew because of poor service and expensive parts. They deserve better and I have an idea Gobile is the man to give it to them.
