200 horsepower, 240NM of torque, with 6-speed dual clutch transmission mated to a 1.6-litre turbo direct sequential injection engine is no joke at all. A light pressure applied on the Clio RS' gas pedal, and it shoots off faster than any other competitors in its range. This car is fast and furious, especially it comes with Goodyear F1 205/45R17 shoes. Maximum torque kicks in at just 1750rpm. Pressing the R.S. Drive button below the gear stalk, it immediately modifies the mapping of the gearbox, throttle, steering and the ESC, and revving to near red line is now possible! Switch to manual RACE mode, the system disable the traction control automatically, and the Clio RS will even beep the driver it's time to up-shift.
The Clio RS looks good, especially in the Flame Red colour, which make the silver skirting highlight on the side, front and rear bumper stand out. The twin rectangular exhaust enhance the sexiness of the rear. Skip the Mercury (silver) colour choice, and I would also not consider the white as it loses the beauty of such highlight!
Taking a look at the engine, which might worry some, as the unit almost completely fill the compartment, with almost no good accessible space for ease of maintenance. This means a lot of parts need to be pulled off just to service the Clio. Now, pray hard the service centre know what to do without scratching and denting the car and return it to customer with no missing screw or clip.
A peek down the rear, Renault really did a good job in protecting the under carriage of the Clio, from front to rear. This could mean even more difficult to repair the car. Let's hope Renault's quality will bring some peace of mind...but which automobile does not break down, especially with 200hp, it is just difficult to slow down, and this car is not for any 110km/h driver!
Renault never has any good meter cluster, and the Clio is no exception. It comes with a simple analog rpm meter on the left, and the fuel gauge on the right, with a digital speedometer snap right in the middle. Digital has never been the choice for any sport car fan. We want all in analog, preferably with the meter start at 6 o'clock position, that make a full swing when the car start. However, the Clio metal pedal shifters is nicely crafted, a real F1-inspired design, mounted on the steering column. Unlike some others' pedal shifters that are mounted on the steering wheel, which could be a hassle as it block of the comfort of holding on to the steering at the 2 and 10 o'clock positions. What's nice inside the Clio RS is all the red stitching and highlights on the seats, steering wheel, dashboard and doors. Even the seat belt is red. All these make the Flaming Red body colour a defnite match.
At RM168k, this car beats all others manufacturer sport hatch, even the VW Golf has to be kicked off. The handling of the Clio RS is perfect, with good feedback from the steering, and the Normal, Sport and Race mode is incredible. You could even choose to have the system generates special engine sound effect from some pre-programmed legendary cars, such as the Nissan GTR and R8 Gordini. The sound follow your acceleration, what a toy to have. For the racer, the R.S. Monitor 2.0 is a must, showing all the Clio vital live, such as torque, power, g-force, traction slip, temperature, etc. The data logger could save your track time and vitals for your review.
The Clio uses the smart card key, which need to be slotted below the aircon control for the Start Stop button to work. With the placement of the button on the left side of the centre console, one could easily identify the original design on the car is for left-hand drive country, as it is weird to have the button far from the driver.
If you have been waiting for a small and really hot hatch sport car, the CLIO RS is the one. A very good buy. It has even completed the Sepang track with few seconds behind the more powerful Megane. Time to get one and join the Renault's track day! Burn the tarmac now!
For non racer, please push Tan Chong to bring in the normal CLIO for other to enjoy! It is sad to always see limited Renault on our road. Peugeot is doing very well, Citroen is next to grow with its range of DS, it is time for Renault to do its round now! Also, bring back the Kangoo, it is a nice family car with decent pricing.
