Clio Sport blasts into town

This latest creation from RST stands out through the authenticity of its sporting hallmarks which include specific bumpers and sills, twin exhaust tail-pipes and large-diameter wheels. While the five door architecture and coupé stance contribute to its outstanding versatility, the sporting cues championed by Renault Sport are both forceful and simple.

The combination of the 1.6 turbocharged petrol engine with its 147kW and 240Nm of torque plus twin-clutch six-speed gearbox is unique to New Clio RS 200 EDC and can be exploited via perfectly matched gear ratios that areselected automatically or manually.

The marriage of this engine with the EDC transmission lies at the heart of the meticulous development carried out by Renault Sport Technologies. Specific set-up work aside the engine benefits from detailed fine-tuning of the air inlet, distributor, throttle and turbo.

For all New Clio RS 200 EDC’s hallmark versatility, it retains startling performance when judged against the stopwatch: the 0-100km/h sprint is said to take just 6.7 seconds; it can cover 1km in just 27.1 seconds from a standing start and, on a racetrack, it’s capable of reaching a remarkable top speed of 230km/h.

There is more to New Clio RS 200 EDC than just driving pleasure and cutting-edge performance. The latest Clio RS uses just 6.3 litres of unleaded petrol per 100km (equivalent to CO² emissions of only 144g per/km) and sets new standards in terms of economy and environmental sensitivity, it is claimed.

Engineers have focused on the chassis performance, their goal to improve the handling, road holding and braking expected of a Renault Sport model, yet still maintain a high level of comfort.

Pressing the RS drive button modifies the mapping of both the transmission (gear shift programming and shift time) and engine (response to pedal position and engine pitch). It also alters the way the ESC and ASR traction control intervene, as well as the feel of the power steering.

This system is based on a choice of three very different modes (“Normal”, “Sport” and “Race”) which modify New Clio RS 200 EDC’s performance characteristics as a function of the driver’s wishes, needs or usage.

Launch Control is unprecedented equipment for a hot hatch and the New Clio RS 200 EDC fully automates the management of standing starts when the car is used at a circuit. Smart electronics guarantee the fastest possible getaway, in complete safety.

An optional extra on the New Clio RS 200 EDC is the fitment of Renault’s exclusive, advanced in-dash RS Monitor 2.0 and R-Link system.

This system combines the performance tracking function with that of navigation and has been ranked at the forefront of technology with its 18cm touchscreen and 3D technology.

Now even more attractive and more technically advanced, RS Monitor 2.0 stands out as the market’s most comprehensive onboard telemetry system for a production road car.

As is the case across Renault’s entire product range, the New Clio RS 200 EDC LUX and CUP derivatives come with Renault’s industry leading 5-year/150 000km mechanical warranty and 6 year anti-corrosion warranty service, including the standard service plan of 3 years/30 000km.

– Own Correspondent.