What Is The Difference Between Analog And Digital? (Part 1)

Ford Fiesta ST vs. Peugeot 208 GTi vs. Renaultsport Clio 200 EDC vs. Volkswagen Polo GTI DSG

Given the number of G RS-branded Renault hatches currently adorning the imaginary walls of the hot-hatch hall of fame, the weight of expectation resting on the haunches of the (pre-launch) Liquid Yellow Clio RS parked outside our Johannesburg hotel is immense. It’s a burden that is not eased by the fact that, positioned along- side it, are two of the newest and most exciting small hatches in the South African market - the Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTi. The now-familiar Volkswagen Polo GTI adds its sales-topping gaze.

As fans of the current Clio’s styling, the Clio RS has hit the ground running. Model-specific LED daytime running lights and a bespoke bumper design incorporating an F1-mimicking wing blade adds presence up front, while a fixed boot spoiler, rear diffuser and twin tailpipes highlight the rear. Blackened 18-inch alloy wheels on our car hint at the fitment of an optional Cup chassis, which means a 3mm lower ride height over the standard car.

Ford Fiesta ST

The additional rear doors on the newest RS model are in contrast to the wedge-shaped three-door Fiesta ST parked alongside it but, thanks to Alfa Romeo-like hidden aft-handles on the Renault, the practical shape of the Clio is more disguised than the VW’s.

Inside, given my 1,86-metre height, I’m grateful that the driver’s seat-height adjustment drops lower than in the previous Clio RS, and I can’t help but glance over at my colleague frantically trying to find an optimal driving position behind the wheel of the 208 GTi. The combination of small-diameter steering wheel and potentially obstructed instrumentation dials are once again the subject of frustration.

Despite some rather garish splashes of go-faster rouge trim bits scattered throughout both French cabins, it’s obvious that these contenders offer the most modern and feature-packed interpretations of facia design here. Touchscreen multimedia displays must surely be the way forward in terms of convenience and user-friendliness, and their fitment in the Clio and Peugeot both highlight how complicated and fussy the infotainment system in the Fiesta is - and just how sparse and antiquated the Volkswagen system seems. That no-one on the CAR team was able to bring with them their music-filled USB sticks to the Polo driving experience proved quite frustrating.

Ford Fiesta ST’s interior

Playlists selected and the convoy on the move, the presence of steering column-mounted paddles in the Renault draws the most attention so far.

Fresh from the emotional low blow that was saying goodbye to a manual transmission in a Porsche GT3, can the replacement of a stick-shift “box with a six-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) in one of the finest hot- hatch lineages of our time really bring with it the same levels of entertainment and responsive-ness as before? The first time I plant my right foot in order to merge with the fast-paced Johannesburg traffic, I realize we’re in trouble...

For the same reason why Renault has chosen to downsize the RS’s naturally aspirated 2,0-liter engine to a turbocharged 1,6-liter unit, the fitment of a dual-dutch transmission is an obvious way to curb the thirst associated with previous Renaultsport models. It’s not to say the new 147 kW/ 240 N.m unit isn’t responsive and willing, it’s just that, mated with this new hands-free “box, much of the always feisty, always ready-to-race character of previous RS models has been lost in translation. It doesn’t help that the DSG “box in the Polo GTI feels the slicker of the two in their respective default comfort modes.

Peugeot 208 GTi

Swopping into either of the two manual-transmission hatches had every member of the team, regardless of age, convinced of the merits of prolonging the existence of clutch pedals in hot hatches. It’s the Ford’s shift action that’s the most precise and positive, but Peugeot should also be commended for its efforts in ridding the world of spongy French clutches and barely-there transmission gates.

It’s the 208 GTi that tops the charts in terms of available torque (275 N.m) with all who stepped out of the driver’s seat commenting, with surprise, on just how strong the Pug felt through the gears. Its turbo-charged 1,6-liter engine feels as comfortable cruising at national speed limits as it does testing its 6 200 r/min redline.

The Fiesta may be the least powerful car here (when not temporarily running on full- throttle overboost), but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Geared short, most, if not all, throttle inputs are met with enthusiastic response from the 134 kW turbocharged 1,6-liter engine; the drama added by the built-in sound symposer exhaust-note amplifier. Its 240 N.m of torque is available from a low 1 600 r/min, providing welcome shove even in taller gears.

Peugeot 208 GTi’s interior