Renault re-launched (again) recently
in New Zealand and it will soon add the Clio RS to the local range. We got a
preview drive of the new bottle rocket, and brought a Fiesta ST along to see
how the RS fares against the class leader
When a manufacturer appends the RS letters
to a particular model, you expect sporting excellence. Porsche made the
RennSport badge famous but then everyone seemed to jump on the RS bandwagon.
Today, you can buy a whole mess of Honda Jazz RS models, for example, or a
Barina RS. RennSport as in race sport? Not quite. But in Europe the RS label is
generally reserved for something that's a bit special. Since 1999 Renault has
made a habit of producing scrappy little Clio RS variants. Here, RS stands for
Renault Sport, the division responsible for the model's development and up
until now, these have been featherweights powered by tweaked at 2.0-litre
engines, pumping out nigh on 200hp. For a long time they ranked amongst our
favourite hot hatches.
The
Renault Clio RS is no longer a manic machine, and will attract different
customers as a result
In a world where fuel consumption and
emissions are becoming increasingly important, displacement downsizing, direct
fuel injection and forced induction are now the norm. And it is therefore no
surprise that the latest Clio RS ditches natural aspiration and now sports a
1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine. Output is 147kW, or 197bhp so
an increase there but there is more torque, and it drinks less. And new for
Clio RS, gasp, an automatic transmission, with no manual on offer. Quelle
horreur. However, it's not as bad as it sounds for this is a twin-clutch
transmission, or in Renault-speak, an EDC (efficient dual clutch). With six
speeds and big column-mounted paddles this promises to get the best performance
out of the downsized turbocharged engine.
Excellent
body control, well weighted steering and mobile rear end make the Fiesta ST a
great drive
What's a little more surprising is that the
RS is now a five-door variant only. Can't see many (kids) complaining about
that. The rear door latches are black, hidden in plain sight within the
blacked-out C pillar, so the RS retains the look of the three-door. And a smart
thing it is too, with DRLs and an aggressive prow, and twin exhausts mounted
above a big diffuser. Black rims and black paint convey a don't-mess-with
attitude. The interior is an even bigger step up, with a flash seven-inch touch
screen, big digital speed readout, smart gloss black and metallic trimmings and
heaps of soft plastics. Snazzy red belts and some coloured highlights, like the
shift lever, add flavour.
Plenty of HOT HATCH choice
Despite being relatively small sellers
here, there are options out there if you're a hot hatch fan. The fastest small
Suzuki continues to be a major player, the Swift Sport offering three-and
five-door convenience and stellar bang for buck. Around the $40k area there are
heaps, including Abarth 500 Essesse, Alfa Mito QV, VW Polo GTI, Mini Cooper,
Peugeot 208 GTi, even the Kia Proceed but at $35k sits the benchmark Ford
Fiesta ST also with a 147kW powerplant. Though the RS and ST are similar in
concept, each is executed differently.
New
spoiler has improved the Clio's aerodynamics
So how do these two terriers match up? The
spec list is longer for the more expensive Renault; our tester, the Cup
variant, gets 18-inch alloys and red brake calipers, along with sports seats,
steering wheel and pedals, and lowered sports suspension. There’s not a whole
heap of rearward visibility and yet the parking sensors are optional, though
are standard on the ST. However, the RS gets dual zone climate air and
satellite navigation, both absent in the Fiesta. Other notable RS spec includes
comfort entry and push button start up (ST matches this), cruise control and
speed limiter, RS drive function (Sport and Race modes, with Launch Control),
and auto wipers and lights. Both cars have the expected safety and connectivity
features also. The RS is set to launch here next month at around the $45k mark
for the car seen here, which makes it $10k more than the Fiesta ST.
How do they GO then?
Go-fast Clios of yore were lightweights.
Some scaled up at little more than 1,000kg, but with all the requisite safety
gear and extra doors, Renault rates the latest five-door Clio RS at 1,218kg. On
the scales, our car weighed 1,277kg. Still, in Race mode and with launch
activated, the RS produced the best sprint run we've ever extracted from any
Clio, racing to 100km/h in 6.63sec. That trumps the Fiesta ST by almost half a
second, which shows no matter how much of a cool-hand Luke you fancy yourself,
a decent twin-clutch box will thrash a manual every time.
Rear
spoiler signals the Fiesta ST's sporting intent without being excessive
That said, the extra kerb weight of the
Clio RS is telling in an overtaking duel; with 86kg more to carry around, the
Clio's best 80-120 time of 4.35sec trailed the ST's by 0.3sec. Moreover, the
Renault turbo isn't on boost as early; the ST is spooled up by 1,200rpm whereas
you don't notice much happening below about 1,700rpm in the RS. Coincidentally,
that's where peak torque of 240Nm hangs out in the Renault. Both engines sound
sports seductive but the Fiesta generates 240Nm from 1,500rpm, rising to 290Nm
on temporary overboost, and feels just a bit fitter when you demand
acceleration from low revs; a power to weight advantage is apparent. The ST
engine is killer good.
