Renault Clio 200 Renaultsport review

It’s turbocharged now, so it gives you 177lb ft of torque from as low as 1,750rpm. That may not sound like an awful lot, but the old car had just 158lb ft. And the turbo gets going early, letting you drive harder out of corners. Fine. But then we get to the gearbox. Out goes the satisfying, short-throw manual of the old RS, in comes a double-clutcher. This was always going to upset the purists, but remember, when they’re done right, flappy paddles can be excellent. Renault claims the cogs physically tag-team in 150 milliseconds, which sounds promising, but it’s the command-to-obedience time we’re interested in. And unfortunately it’s just too slow, even when you’ve selected Race mode and reduced shifts to their minimum time. And, unlike a good ol’ manual, you have to stay one step ahead of it. At least the damping and chassis balance helps to make amends. Trouble is, we know Renault can do better.