Renault Clio RenaultSport 197 2008 Review

What we liked
>> Attractive modern styling
>> Whacky tail-out front-wheel drive handling
>> Sports-focused stability control calibration

Not so much
>> Minor packaging issues
>> Less composed ride on the road than the track
>> Short gearing for the open road

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
While you wouldn't say that Australia holds a special place in the heart of the blokes at Renault Sport, being the ninth largest market in the world has elevated the local market in the hierarchy of the company's preferred customers.

Renault Sport is a modifier of volume-selling Renault cars in much the same way as FPV, HSV and TRD modify Ford, Holden and Toyota cars, respectively. The French company sells its modified cars through the local Renault distribution channel and has just concluded selling 100 units of the company's high-performance Megane R26 here, from just two batches imported.

With the strong profile generated by the R26 -- and the Megane Renault Sport 225 also -- the company has set about attracting new converts with the Clio Renault Sport 197.

Renault has fielded sporty Clio models since the car first arrived in Australia back in 2001. This latest model is larger and more attractive than any previous model and may prove to be a halo car of sorts for Renault to pitch at the highly competitive premium small hatch-buying demographic. It's also the first Clio III model variant to make it Down Under.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Available as just one variant, the Clio 197 is priced at $36,490.

For the money, the car comes replete with dual airbags, side-impact airbags and side curtains, remote central locking, 17-inch alloy wheels, an exclusive body kit, air extractors in the front quarter panels, satin chrome exterior and interior highlights, height-adjustable steering column, leather-bound sports steering wheel, leather-trimmed gear lever, drilled aluminium pedals, sports seats, trip computer, climate control, auto-up/down electric front windows, height and lumbar adjustment for driver's seat, 60/40 split-fold rear seat and CD audio system.

Options include metallic paint ($800), six-disc CD audio system ($800), xenon lights ($1750) and a glass sunroof ($1890).

A standard three-year/100,000km warranty applies.

The metallic paint option applies to three of the four colours available to local buyers: Toro Red, metallic Silver, metallic Deep Black and metallic Monako Blue.

MECHANICAL
As noted above, the Clio 197 is the first variant of Clio III to reach Australia and the '197' label refers to the car's horsepower, equating to 145kW.

That sort of power is just 2kW shy of Nissan's turbocharged S15 series 200SX from a few years ago, so Renault is extracting some good figures from the naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Torque, in keeping with the well-tuned engine's nature, peaks at 215Nm from an engine speed of 5500rpm.

The engine is a development of the powerplant in the Clio II Renault Sport 182.

Renault recorded a time of 6.9 seconds for the Clio 197 to reach 100km/h from a standing start. In combined-cycle ADR81/01 testing, the Clio has returned a fuel consumption figure of 8.4L/100km and produces 199g/km of CO2 emissions.

A 'double-axis' MacPherson strut system underpins the Clio at the front. According to Renault, the double-axis struts reduce torque-steer, relative to a conventional MacPherson strut system. Suspension at the rear comprises a torsion beam, which has been strengthened for the 197 application, but still provides consistent handling and roadholding with a reasonable ride in a compact configuration.

Renault engineers have developed the Clio 197 on a wheelbase not shared with lesser Clio III models and the stability control program has been specifically recalibrated for sports-focused driving.

The Clio's steering is an electrically assisted rack-and-pinion affair, working through a wider front track.  For the brakes, Renault Sport engineers adopted ventilated discs at the front, measuring 312mm diameter and complemented by Brembo four-piston calipers. Solid discs at the rear measure 300mm diameter and the calipers are supplied by TRW.

The Clio III is larger in all dimensions and the Clio 197 specifically measures 3991mm in length, with a 2585mm wheelbase. Width measurement is 2025mm, including mirrors (or 1768mm without the mirrors) and the height of the car reaches 1484mm.

Through wind tunnel testing, Renault Sport has recorded between 40 and 70kg of downforce at the rear, without a rear spoiler. The downforce comes from the rear diffuser alone, so whilst Renault can supply a rear spoiler as an accessory through the dealer network, it's not fitted to the Clio as standard.

PACKAGING
The Clio's fit and finish seemed okay, with the cabin generally well designed and laid out in respect of controls and switchgear, but the look bordered on mundane. Those who expected a French hot hatch to feature bright red carpets and high-contrast seat fabrics may be disappointed.

Legroom in the front passenger seat was a bit light on and addressing that by shifting the seat far enough back left less room for the rear-seat passenger behind. Nor did it escape our attention that the latch mechanism to shift the seat fore and aft was not up to par. It needed a hefty yank and occasionally caught in mid move or wouldn't release properly in the first place. The side knob mounted inboard to adjust the angle of recline for each front seat was easy to reach.

In lieu of a spare wheel, the Clio 197 features a higher boot floor to accommodate a bulky exhaust system which improves the engine note and reduces the back-pressure.

As an (unintended?) consequence, the Clio 197's boot space is quite respectable for its relatively small exterior dimensions. In the event of a flat tyre, two aerosol canisters in the glovebox might get owners out of difficulty -- and for other occasions, there are mobile phones and roadside assistance.

SAFETY
In its third generation guise, the Clio has tipped the Euro NCAP scales at five stars. For the Clio Renault Sport 197, the engineering team has specified front and side-impact airbags. Side curtains protect the heads of both front and rear-seat occupants. The front seats and headrests absorb energy from a rear-end impact and the rear seats are stronger to resist collapsing from the force of the impact.

In respect of active safety, the Clio 197 is fitted with disc brakes all around (see above for further details), ABS/EBD, traction control and stability control. This last feature has been specifically calibrated for the Clio 197 application, allowing the driver more racetrack latitude before intervening.

COMPETITORS
Renault anticipates that the Clio 197 will compete against the MINI Cooper and Cooper S. We foresee any number of competitors for the Renault in addition to the MINI.

Being a relatively large light car, as it is, it will inevitably be cross-shopped against all sorts of light and small cars, some with forced-induction engines, others providing similar specifications and capabilities for less money.

There's the Alfa 147 Ti, but that develops lower output and is more expensive than the Renault. Audi's A3 1.8 TFSI Ambition is more expensive still and is outgunned by the Clio for power (although the Audi develops marginally more torque).

Fiat's Ritmo Sport T-Jet doesn't produce the power numbers of the Clio, but can top it for torque. It's also cheaper than the Renault, but the Ritmo offers less 'mainstream' appeal, when you consider such things as ergonomics, steering and design. You would have to be more of a Fiat fan to choose the Ritmo over the Renault, in our opinion.

The turbocharged Ford Focus XR5 is a real threat for the Renault, developing more power and a lot more torque, in a package that is significantly larger for not much more cost. Ford's 2.0-litre atom XR4 is much cheaper but still an engaging foe.

Also turbocharged, Holden's Astra SRi Turbo develops the same power as the Clio and more torque, for less money. But the Holden is starting to appear just a bit long in the tooth and we've never been smitten with the crazy C-pillar look.

Yet another turbocharged model, the Mazda3 MPS is likely to be within reach of prospective Clio 197 buyers and provides more power and torque.

Whilst the Peugeot 207 GTi doesn't match the Clio for power, it's ahead of the Renault for torque and costs less. That said, the Clio will be considered a more attractive car by a lot of shoppers.

As with the Fiat Ritmo T-Jet, the Volkswagen Golf GT TSI is not as powerful as the Clio, but it does offer more torque. Unlike the Fiat, the Golf is more expensive than the Renault, but offsets that with the sort of (not entirely earned) reputation and resale value that has stood Volkswagen in good stead over the years.

Perhaps the closest in concept, however, is the Civic Type R. A bit of a screamer, the naturally-aspirated Honda produces very slightly more power than the Clio, but is down on torque. In addition, it's more expensive than the Renault, but some will pay the extra for the peace of mind that goes with buying a Honda.

ON THE ROAD
With a wheel in each corner, the Clio 197 handles, steers and holds the road the way it should. It looks the part too. This latest iteration of the Clio (Clio III) looks modern and aggressive -- but mainstream too. You won't find yourself making excuses for owning the car.

In style, it's somewhat reminiscent of Peugeot's 206 GTi 180, but builds on that. It is, in the opinion of this reviewer, a more visually appealing car than the current Peugeot 207 GTi and, where it counts -- gearshift for example -- it's ahead of the Puggy on points.

Even though the Peugeot's seats are at least the equal of the Renault's, most other interior appointments favour the Renault. And it must be said, the Clio's seats are likely to suit a broader range of buyers, striking a better balance between comfort, lateral grip and support. The seat cushion may be bordering on just a tad short for some occupants.

We tested the Clio 197 in France earlier this year (more here). For the Down Under launch, Renault let us loose on the track at Wakefield Park in southern NSW, after a drive down from Canberra in the Clio 197. As it did on its home soil, around the local track, the Clio immediately impressed with its dynamics.

The engine was quite unfussed and driveable in ordinary day-to-day driving, but it wasn't as frenetic above 5000rpm as an original Type R Integra, if you want some basis for comparison.

If the truth be known, the torque felt consistently linear across much of the rev range. It was a willing revver, but if the racetrack were any indication, you might as well change up a gear from around 6500 or earlier, even though the redline is set at 7000rpm.

After numerous laps at the Wakefield Park track, average fuel consumption was 13.9L/100km -- if that matters. By comparison, and despite the car's relatively low gearing, fuel consumption on the way from Canberra to Wakefield Park snuck in under 9.0L/100km (8.9L/100km average).

The six-speed manual transmission offered relatively light and slick shifting with gear ratios that felt remarkably close. Changing from second to third gear will take a lot of people by surprise the first time.

The downside of such a close-ratio cluster is the low overall ratio of sixth, which leads to the engine revving above 3000rpm at 100km/h and some will find that a little unpleasant on the open road, but the Clio's gear ratios were ideal for the track at Wakefield Park.

Steering was very direct and provided good weight and feel. It's electrically adjusted but is better than many such systems around. In fact, on one particular wide-radius corner on the Wakefield Park circuit, it was quite easy to balance the car on the exit with some power-induced understeer, which sounds more like a point scored for handling, but the steering played its part in making it happen.

Nine times out of ten around the circuit, the Clio preferred to oversteer -- with the stability control stepping in late in the play to sort things out. It's noteworthy that -- after hours of motoring journalists circulating the track in the Clio and high-performance Meganes, the only incidents arising were a couple of skittled witches' hats in the final few laps.

Most drivers found the witches' hats set up as braking markers were actually placed quite conservatively, relative to the car's braking performance. The brakes (Brembo calipers at the front and TRW at the rear) provided strong and reliable braking at all times during the drive program, including hard laps of the track.

In short, between braking ability, handling and steering, the Clio instilled a lot of confidence on the track. Out on the road, the picture was much the same. The ride was better than expected, although it could be slightly pitchy over bumps and rough bitumen. But this is a small sporting hatch, not an SUV or a large family car.

In regards to the driving position, there was no reach adjustment for the steering, but that presented less of a problem in the Clio than it has in some cars. The steering wheel has the bespoke red stitching at the 12 o'clock position, for those who don't know which way the wheels are pointing.

Instruments were clear and easy to read, with a gearchange indicator there to save the driveline, rather than fuel. It worked to specification, although we suspect that even in the heat of a race, with a full-face helmet on, most drivers would be able to pick when to change up.

For NVH, as already mentioned, the Clio's engine is the pre-eminent source of noise, although tyres contribute on coarser bitumen, plus there was some mild aerodynamic rustling at times and a persistent rattle in the dash over bumps.

When you check out the list of prospective competitors we've amassed (see above) and consider the Clio 197's combination of specification, pricing, dynamics and style, it's right slap bang in the middle of a hot hatch sweet spot. Depending on buyers' choices, there are few of those cars that can deliver the Clio's all-round ability.

To comment on this article click