2015 Renault Clio RS200 Cup Review – Serious Applicants Only Need Apply
The skinny: Delve into the specs of the Renault Clio RS and it looks more than merely 'promising' - a bucket of turbo-fed torque, a light compact body and RenaultSport’s reputation for sharp handling.
But with plenty of other contenders out there, Renault isn’t alone in the light hot hatch game, far from it. The Clio is now pitted up against some decent rivals, most with European roots and all adept at delivering motoring thrills on a budget.
In ‘Cup’ specification, the handling gets kicked up a notch and the Clio RS puts on a serious driving face - this is no boy racer, but a genuinely ferocious package.
Vehicle Style: Light five-door hot hatch
Price: $31,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 147kW/240Nm 1.6 4cyl petrol turbo | 6spd automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 6.3 l/100km | tested: 9.5 l/100km
OVERVIEW
The tenacious little Clio RS might offend some purists when it comes to its five-door body and automatic transmission, but the truth of the matter is, as far as broadening the little hot-hatch’s appeal, both of those things are exactly what the market asked for.
Unlike most other single-variant hot-shoes, the Clio also comes in a spectacular four-model range: Sport, Cup, Sport Premium, and Cup Premium - or put more simply - "fast", or "fast with tighter handling", and then a "luxed-up version" of each.