ABDC 2018: Renault Clio RS 200 Cup

14th place

Why is it here?

The RenaultSport badge on the compact Clio is its passport for a start at ABDC 2018. It’s the latest in a series of superminis from the French maker which have rung the bell for a wide range of driving enthusiasts.

And yet the latest Clio RS 200 Cup never looks like it’s going to seriously trouble the scorekeepers. It’s not the biggest, the fastest, the quickest or the most expensive. Around Winton Motor Raceway, it’s actually the slowest.

Then again, it has French style on its side and it’s comfortable and sharp enough for city work or a weekend run into the countryside. It’s also picked up a range of improvements for 2018.

The Clio’s performance in ABDC is compromised by the car in the contest. It’s only the mid-level Cup car – there are three choices in 2018 – and not the full-on Trophy model. To put that in perspective, the Trophy picks up an extra 15kW/15Nm over the Cup contender, and it also has tauter suspension that sits 40mm lower, as well as sharper steering. [Ed: Renualt’s choice, not our’s.]

And while there are always ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, in a tight fight like the ABDC judging it’s likely the Trophy would have been closer to the peloton than the Cup, and not fighting for survival at the back of the pack.

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What’s under the bonnet?

The 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine in the Clio RS 200 Cup car makes 147kW/260Nm – solid numbers for a car that weighs just over 1200kg. But there is no manual gearbox and that hurts the fun factor.

The standard six-speed dual-clutch transmission works well enough, but to get full manual control – without auto upshifts – you have to be in the sportiest of the three engine-management settings, and moving up from Normal through Sport to Race means you lose the stability control safety net completely.

>>Get all the 2018 Australia's Best Driver's Car results here

The Clio RS 200 Cup is well equipped with 18-inch alloys, grippy sports seats, and the latest LED headlights are plain brilliant. But the infotainment system is not as intuitive as most of the others in ABDC, the sound is a bit thin, and the Bluetooth connection and clarity could be better.

There is a nicely compliant ride in most conditions with solid turn-in before the inevitable front-end push. But the driving position is quite elevated, which means you sit more ‘on’ the car than ‘in’ it; and that is highlighted when you jump into the Renault from something like the Honda Civic Type R.

The shift paddles now have a shorter action than before, which is good, but can still be tough to trigger if you need an urgent downshift on a twisty road. And the ride, which is reasonably compliant at middling speeds, can turn choppy and bouncy if the surface is less than perfect.

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How does it perform?

The Clio RS 200 Cup is rated as good, but not that great, by most of the judges.

“It is quick, well-balanced and grippy, but lacks feel-good factor,” says James Whitbourn.

“Rides comfortably but feels just a bit soft, compared with the other hatches in the field,” says Ken Gratton.

“Simply needs to bring more. It’s perky and fun but lacks the substance of a true driver’s car,” says Nadine Armstrong.

Others are tougher.

“Does not float my boat. Preferred the old naturally-aspirated manual,” is the blunt punt from Bruce Newton.

But not everyone.

“Great little driver’s car. Potentially a giant killer,” says Marton Pettendy.

The Clio RS 200 Cup is slowest of all at Winton Motor Raceway, a surprise for some people who expected it to be closer to the Hyundai i30 N and Honda Civic Type R.

Its time is 1:45.390, around 10 seconds slower than the pacesetters and even eight-tenths behind the Suzuki Swift Sport. Racer Luke Youlden is hard on the Renault when he pulls up from his track laps, but winds things back a bit when he reflects later.

“It’s a great little car. I was probably a little bit harsh when I was driving it. I was putting it up against the Honda and Hyundai and it’s not in the same league as those two,” he says.

“There is nothing wrong with it. It’s probably just outclassed in this field. It’s pretty sharp and does most things pretty well. The others have just changed the game.”

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Is it worth the asking price?

The arrival of the updated Clio RS 200 Cup meant price rises, but the base price of $30,990 for the Sport is solid value for a supermini, and the Cup car is well positioned from $32,490.

Still, it’s easy to pump the bottom line as it’s $750 for the Liquid Yellow signature paint and Entertainment Pack that most people want and need – with sat-nav, RS monitor, Android Auto and Bose sound – adds $1500.

Looking at the rest of the ABDC field, the Renault sits in a no-car-land position that’s well above the Suzuki and below the Honda and Hyundai on both price and size. So it has no direct rival at ABDC 2018 – and is not focussed sharply enough to tackle the Honda and Hyundai.

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What do the judges think?

There is a broad spread of opinion on the Renault Clio RS 200 Cup. But the final finishing order reflects a general “mid ladder” ranking that is never going to be enough to lift it off the bottom of the ABDC rankings for 2018.

The Renault is a nicely sporty little car but is missing the top-end notes to lift it from good to great. It’s a bit like the exhaust, which is mostly flat and farty – one judge compares it to a vacuum cleaner – instead of sharply focussed like its opponents.

It’s a car that’s alright for a fun run, when it’s not seriously challenged and can use impressive front-end grip and a torquey turbo engine to make its pace. But drop it into the ABDC pack and it cannot hope to keep up, or provide the driving enjoyment, that is so essential in a contest that rewards excellence and punishes anything that falls short.

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2018 Renault Clio RS 200 Cup pricing and specifications:

Price: $32,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 147kW/260Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 9.5L/100km (ADR Combined), 17.6L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 133g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

2018 Renault Clio RS 200 Cup figures (as tested):

0-100km/h: 7.5sec
0-400m: 15.173sec @ 154.3km/h
Lap time: 1:45.390sec

Related reading:

>> Renault Clio RS 200 Cup Review