Road Test: Renault Clio RS South Africa

Renault Clio RS 2015 South Africa

I’ve been staring at this Renault Clio RS for a while now as its motor clinks cool under its resplendent yellow paint. My immediate thoughts: conflicted. There’s still a vivid memory of a manual Clio RS buzzing at 7000rpm up Knysna’s hillclimb which is rooted deep inside my all-time favourite moments and this dense electronic package requires further study than the whereabouts of a clutch pedal.

Clio RS is fast, make no mistake. Against a Fiesta ST or Peugeot 208 GTi I suspect it will use its greater kilowatt advantage. More speed is carried from the bit I’m less convinced by – the automatic gearbox linked to a launch control system. One thing for sure, this new Clio RS is a digital leap forward from its analogue predecessors. While the others have edged towards new technology with the installation of turbo chargers the Clio RS has downloaded the entire future and crammed it into a segment that has traditionally savoured simplicity.

Or accept the world is changing and applaud Renault for moving the game along and forging a path that could soon become adopted by all. Realise too that although we wish otherwise the majority of ‘fun driving roads’ are limited to a sweeping onramp or consecutive traffic circles. For everything else a paddle gearbox makes much sense.

Good thing it’s fast. Renault must have known that a good dollop of power is usually enough to vindicate some of the controversial changes. The industry standard 1.6-litre turbo charged engine replaces the outgoing naturally aspirated 2.0-litre and although gains are small, it is where they happen in the rev range that tells you the most about this new car. The 147kW happens a full 1000rpm sooner and more torque occurs at 1750-5500rpm instead of 5400rpm.The electronic differential comes standard and works by grabbing either brake in an effort to slow it to the point where it can regain traction but it’s not linked to traction control. The latter can be turned off completely.

Chasing the redline is a term unfamiliar to the turbo charged generation. Many will bemoan how instantly power is delivered in the latest Clio R and how gear changes don’t need to be perfectly executed in the heavily camm’d sweet spot. Others will rejoice in a new found driver friendliness. Is it a great auto? No amount of driving modes will convince the Clio’s computer brain that your intentions are the correct ones and there’s still some way to go if it wants to be as polished as VW’s DSG box fitted to the Polo.

In an attempt to divert your senses from that of a missing clutch to a more audible experience the Clio comes with a sophisticated but completely superfluous system of replicating the noises of other iconic cars. We’ve become so accustomed to having faux engine noises plumbed through the speakers so why want to listen to a synthesised 4-cylinder when you could have the visceral shrieking and gnashing of say, a Nissan GTR? A bit silly perhaps but silliness is very much part of a hot hatch’s genes and you might find it more than just a fleeting gimmick.

Inside the Clio feels spacious and because it is the only one to offer five doors it becomes instantly the most practical. But size can dilute the sense of nimbleness and those instincts needed to tell how close those front wheels are to the apex become a little hazy. Then there is the single lever between the seats, staring awkwardly back at you, feeling totally embarrassed by being there. Because of this the cabin seems sparse and benign – your immediate thought isn’t to go and give the front tyres ten good lashings. The seats though are up for some hard driving and the central monitor gives feedback on G-forces, performance data and lap times – these can be uploaded to a flashdrive.

Villain or pioneer whose genius is still to be appreciated? Previous owners of the Clio RS probably won’t rush towards showrooms and even if Renault fixed the response on the automatic there’s no substitute for a great manual on the right road. Yet Clio RS volumes were low and if the new one can overcome a hefty price tag to get new owners behind the wheel it can only be viewed as a success. Sometimes our old memories prevent us from realising that hot hatches are not immune to evolution.

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