Handling is the forte of any hot hatch and the Clio is no exception. Throw the Clio into a corner and it grips and grips, feeling surefooted and nimble all the while. There's virtually no body roll and the taut chassis means it deals easily with quick changes of direction.

Since 2000, the successive variants of Clio Renault Sport have resulted in it becoming the most popular hot hatch of its class in Europe, with over 70,000 worldwide sales. The Renault Sport version of the brand's best-selling model has been unanimously praised by enthusiastic owners as one of the market's best hot hatches, and also one of the most fun to drive. The challenge faced by the engineers from Renault Sport Technologies was to build on the existing qualities of Clio Renault Sport 197 and take its inherent strengths and dynamism to a new level.

Is it more than a new aggressive design? Let’s find out:

Performance:

If you like plenty of low-down pulling power, then the Clio 200 is probably not for you. It might be worth looking at one of its turbocharged rivals. However, if you like high-revving, tuneful engines that need frequent gear changes to keep them on song, then the Renault will be a delight. It has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class (73.5 kw per tonne) it develops 147.5kw   (reached at 7,100 rpm), maximum pulling power is perhaps surprisingly low at 215 Nm and it arrives high up the rev range (5400rpm). While quick, the car doesn't actually feel that fast until you reach 4000rpm when you feel a noticeable surge on full throttle. The close-ratio six-speed gearbox means it's easy to keep the engine operating in its optimum torque band to get the most out of it. The gear change itself is short, but could be a bit more precise, while the brakes are excellent (Brembo), and coped well with a spell on our twisting the gorge run north of Sydney. The Renault was given a bit of an overhaul in May 2009 with some exterior changes including wider wings to make room for the wider front and rear tracks. A more aggressive front to the car was also one of the major changes and includes a new, bigger low positioned air intake.

Handling:

This is the forte of any hot hatch and the Clio is no exception. Throw the Clio into a corner and it grips and grips, feeling surefooted and nimble all the while. There's virtually no body roll and the taut chassis means it deals easily with quick changes of direction. The overly-assisted steering feels artificial at first, but it firms up with speed and once you're used to it, provides great response to even slight inputs.

Comfort:

As it's based on the Clio, the Sport 200 Cup version has decent cabin room. Boot and interior space is good, although it's quite tight in the back for two adults. What isn't so good is the often frantic driving experience. While it's enjoyable on open roads, on the motorway the noisy engine and lack of in-gear power means it's not relaxing to drive. Add in a very firm ride (especially noticeable in the goat tracks of Sydney town) and the Clio is rarely a comfortable car to drive or be a passenger in. Cup models are meant to be more driver focussed and include Recaro seats fitted as standard to the Cup Trophée

Practicality:

The roomy interior offers excellent storage, with a huge glove compartment (more than nine litres) and long bins in the doors. The boot is wide and deep but access to the rear seats can be tricky as the Renault Clio only comes in three-door guise. The rear seats fold flat in a 60/40 split, offering luggage space of 288 litres in standard format or up to 1,038 litres with the rear seats folded flat and the boot is big enough to hold the luggage for a weekend away.

Equipment:

The Clio Renault Sport 200 Cup Trophée comes with:

17” Anthracite colour five spoke open design Renault Sport alloy wheels, airbags and anti-submarining front seat airbags, red brake callipers, Climate control, Bluetooth, Cruise control, Speed limiter, Front fog lamps, Electrically-adjustable and heated door mirrors, Automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers, One touch electric windows, Eight airbags – auto-adaptive driver and passenger, lateral airbags, full length side curtain   airbags and anti-submarining front seat airbags, ABS with Electronic Brake force Distribution, Disconnect able ESP stability control, Reach and rake adjustable steering column, Renault Sport leather steering wheel with yellow centre marking, Multi-function trip computer, 4 x 20W RDS CD MP3 radio with fingertip steering column controls and auxiliary socket with RCA and USB inputs, Drilled aluminium pedal facings, RAID (Renault Anti Intruder Device) which automatically locks the doors at over 8kph, Two height-adjustable rear head rests, 60:40 split folding rear seat, Black door mirrors, gloss black finish to the rear diffuser and the centre section of the front  bumper, Body-coloured side mouldings, Renault Hands Free Key card, Electrically adjustable, folding and heated door mirrors, Recaro Renault Sport height adjustable seats (anti submarining airbags not available on Recaro seats), 17” Renault sport Bebop alloy wheels, Fascia with simulated carbon fibre gloss finish to the centre binnacle and accent strip, Anthracite insert on door mirrors, gloss anthracite finish to the rear diffuser and the centre section of the front bumper.

Behind the wheel:

The cabin is very similar to the standard Clio, which means it's neatly designed and well finished. There are a few differences, including a dark metal finish on the centre console, sports seats and red stitching, but it doesn't really stand out as the cabin of a hot hatchback. The height-adjustable driver's seat means the driving position is good though and the steering adjusts for reach and rake.

Safety:

The Clio scored a maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests and there are driver and front passenger airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags and anti-submarining airbags (not with Recaro Seats) at the base of the seat cushion. There's also electronic brake force distribution, ESP traction and stability control and Isofix child seat mountings on the front passenger and rear seats.

Reliability:

Earlier Clio’s had average reliability. The new one is more complex, but Renault is working hard to improve reliability. We would be happy to increase this rating on the basis of good reports from owners.

Summary

This is the hot version of the Clio, tuned by the masters at Renault sport - the side of the firm that's responsible for motor racing. It follows a simple recipe – it's a three-door Clio with a 2.0-litre engine and tuned chassis to make it an involving drive with some added-on sports styling to hammer the point home. As before, 0-100 kph takes less than seven seconds and it handles superbly with masses of grip. However, while it's great on twisting roads, the hot Clio can be tiring to drive on Sydney’s goat tracks, because a stiff ride means it is rarely comfortable.

What is Good and Not so Good

What is Good

·          Pin-sharp handling,

·          understated styling,

·          good standard equipment,

·          strong performance

What is Not so Good

·          Very firm ride,

·          Uncomfortable and tiring on motorways,

·           Cup models are sparsely kitted out.

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Article Copyright © all rights reserved - Auto Alliance Group Pty. Ltd. 2010