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Adam Davis22 Jun 2012
REVIEW

Renault Clio Sport 200 Cup 2012: Road Test

If you want raw, unadulterated hot hatch thrills, it just has to be the Renault Clio RS Cup

Renault Clio Sport 200 Cup
Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $36,490
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Liquid Yellow Metallic Paint $1000
Crash rating: Five-star (EuroNCAP)
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 8.2
CO2 emissions (g/km): 195
Also consider: Toyota 86 GTS (from $35,490), MINI Cooper S (from $40,700), Volkswagen Golf GTI (from $38,990)

With the Clio IV slated for release in mid-2013, Renault is currently in a holding pattern when it comes to the current generation of Clio. For now, Clio is available only in overtly sporty Renault Sport 200 Cup guise, alongside the limited-edition ‘Angel and Demon’ version.

Although current Clio is coming to the end, Renault has introduced a couple of tweaks for the MY12 Clio RS. Designed to add value without a price increase, 2012’s Clio RS Cup comes with leather upholstery as standard, while entry price remains at $36,490 (MRLP).

Other changes are more subtle; a white-faced (instead of yellow) tachometer and red (again in favour of yellow) stitching for the straight-ahead position on the leather steering wheel. There are now only four colours to choose from, Renault discontinuing the feisty Alien Green and Mercury Grey finishes, leaving non-metallic Racing Blue and Toro Red as standard colours with metallic Black an $800 option. Metallic Liquid Yellow, as applied to the test car, is a $1000 option.

Mechanically, Clio RS Cup retains the same specifications as before. That means a raucous 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder producing 147.5kW at 7100rpm and 215Nm torque at 5400rpm. Redline is a heady 7750rpm.

Matched to a short-stacked, six-speed manual gearbox this naturally-aspirated screamer is going to be the last of its breed, the next sporting Clio sure to feature smaller capacity and turbocharging in an effort to reduce emissions. For the record, the effervescent four-pot in the current car returns a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 8.2L/100km and CO2 emissions figure of 195g/km. By way of comparison, MINI’s Cooper S and its 135kW/240Nm turbocharged 1.6-litre four uses 6.3L/100km and emits 146g/km.

Though the efficiency equation no longer computes for Renault, what will be mourned is the character of this best-of-breed engine/gearbox combination. It gets interested from around 2500rpm, the intake noise of the four-pot reminiscent of a pair of 45mm Weber carburettors as the revs solidify. By 4500rpm there is another kick and the note hardens further, before it zings to redline like a superbike.  Thankfully, an up-change light and chime notify when that redline has been reached.

At a 100km/h cruise in sixth, the Clio registers a shade under 3000rpm; enough to be in its useful range but also enough for the engine note to permeate the cabin as soon as throttle is applied. More revs breed more noise, to the point where you feel there’d be a genuine benefit to the conversation if Renault offered a couple of WRC-Style headsets.

In finer detail the natural aspiration allows you to meter out response by twitches of the throttle; as good as a modern turbo is, there is still something more organic about pedalling the Clio RS Cup, even if it can’t quite match the boosted low-rev torque of a Golf GTI. In terms of real-world fuel economy, we saw 9.6L/100km over 1000kms of mixed highway, city and spirited country driving in both wet and dry conditions.

The gearbox proves a perfect ally, offering demonically-fast upshifts with a clutch that can be used almost like a switch to engage the next gear as quickly as co-ordination allows. Downshifts require more caution; the narrow gate asking for a deliberate action particularly on cross-gate shifts.

As resolved as the driveline package is, the chassis is what really makes this car sing. Perfectly aligned to the eager engine/gearbox combination, Clio RS Cup makes the most of sticky 215/45 Continental SportContact 3s and 17-inch alloys to conjure up deeply impressive grip levels.

It all starts with the steering; though it is electronically-assisted the feel through the chunky-rimmed wheel offers a clear picture of the road surface beneath. The power assistance is light at parking speeds but is immediately weighty off-centre when on the move -- though the wheel itself tilts away from the driver too much to provide the ideal seating.

Clio RS Cup’s ‘independent steering axis’ front suspension layout separates the steering motion from damping control, and in practice it offers a couple of key advantages. It virtually eliminates torque steer, and it offers very specific levels of damping. As a result, the rorty Renault’s responses are without peer in this class.

Sure, it rides firmly in day-to-day meandering, but it’s a revelation on twisting, cambered, blemished back roads. The suspension takes wilder bumps as a challenge to its control; soaking the loads up while retaining resolute contact with the road surface. Braking is also prodigious, hauling down 1280kg of Clio smoothly and confidently thanks largely to four-piston Brembo front calipers. The (switchable) stability control program is also well-judged, allowing a degree of leniency before gently tightening the reins. In essence, there is no slack in the Clio’s response, giving you time to enjoy the drive.

Beyond its dynamic brio, the cabin is a nice place to be. The leather trim lends an air of quality, the seats remaining supportive even though the hatchback origins suggest you are sitting on rather than in the car. The drilled aluminium pedals give your feet good purchase on the controls and the indicator/wiper stalks are tactile, almost delicate. Front, lateral and curtain airbags are standard and contribute to the car’s five-star EuroNCAP rating. Console-activated cruise control/speed limit functions are standard along with the usual Bluetooth/MP3/USB/auxiliary capabilities. Satellite navigation remains optional.

Though listed as a five-seater, the Clio RS Cup’s rear seat area is cramped even with the front passenger’s seat set forward -- two adults could squeeze in but the space is only suitable for short trips. Boot storage is 288 litres.

On the move Clio RS Cup’s A-pillars are narrow for a modern vehicle, offering good forward visibility, however the combination of B-pillar thickness and small side and rear windows makes head-checking a major diversion.

All in all, the Clio RS Cup is a hatch that places driving enjoyment above all else. Its raison d’etre is perhaps best explained thusly: There is no chime to indicate reverse gear has been selected, but there is one to tell you when you’ve approached redline...

If you are looking for a fully rounded package, you’d probably plump for a Golf GTI. But if you want raw, unadulterated hot hatch thrills, it just has to be the Renault Clio RS Cup.

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Written byAdam Davis
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