Between the 25th and 28th of this month (June, 2015) at the Goodwood Festival of Speed we will see the UK debut of the Clio RS 220 Trophy - Renault's hottest Clio in the lineup. But what do we know already?
It uses the same 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol unit as the Clio RS 200 models, but has a 20 bhp and 20 Nm upgrade, meaning the 220 bhp 260 Nm Clio can reach 62 mph in 6.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 146 mph. Additionally, there's a 20 Nm 'torque boost' in 4th and 5th gears.
It revs to 6,800 rpm, that's 300 more than in the Clio RS 200 models. Peak power comes in at 6,050 rpm with torque peaking at 2,000 rpm. Despite a powerful, high-revving engine, Renault claims the Clio RS 220 Trophy is capable of 47.9 mpg, emitting 135 g/km of CO2.
As you'd expect, you can change the drive mode. Through the R.S. Drive system, you have the choice of Normal, Sport and Race. No Eco here! To help the 220 Trophy achieve the claimed 47.9 mpg, Stop&Start technology is used in the Normal mode. Race mode does not change gears for you, the driver must upshift and downshift using the paddles located behind the steering wheel.
Front suspension is lowered by 20mm and the rear by 10mm. That combined with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport 205/40R18 tyres give the Clio a real get-up-and-go racey attitude.
Eighteen-inch 'Radical' alloys with black inserts add an element of bi-tone, giving it a mature yet aggressive look. There are various flashy paint jobs and even a gloss black roof and spoiler option for £1,300.
Slightly more expensive, at £1,600, are the front heated leather Trophy sports seats with integrated headrests, proving that you can live with this car and not have to go without some of the comforts you could've had if you hadn't have gone for another hot hatch.
For £295 you can specify the RenaultSport Monitor V2, an onboard telemetry system that lets you understand certain aspects of your car like the throttle responsiveness.
That's enough options for now, what about the standard spec? Don't be fooled by it being the top-of-the-range RenaultSport Clio, it retains the R-Link infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, voice control, TomTom LIVE satellite navigation, DAB, Bluetooth®, 3D Arkamys sound, USB and auxiliary connection and rear parking camera and sensors.
The Renault Clio RenaultSport 220 Trophy uses a hands-free keycard, meaning keyless entry, an engine start/stop button and auto-locking doors. Automatic climate control, auto wipers and auto headlights are all standard too.
Cruise control and a speed limiter are, guess what, standard! So are all-round electric windows, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors and a height adjustable driver's seat.
Definitely not short on equipment, but does that come at a cost? Ever so slightly.
It's more expensive than the Volkswagen Polo GTI (£18,900), Vauxhall Corsa VXR (£17,995) and Ford Fiesta ST (£17,395). Only the Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport (£21,995) is more expensive.
- Vauxhall Corsa VXR
On the subject of comparisons, the Clio shares its 0-62 mph time with the Polo. The Corsa and 208 are 0.2 s faster, and the Fiesta 0.3 s slower. All hot hatches are capable of more than 140 mph apart from the 139 mph Fiesta.
- Ford Fiesta ST
The Fiesta and Polo join the Clio in the mid-40 mpg region, with the Corsa falling behind at 37.7 mpg and both the 208 and Polo while mated to a 7-speed DSG auto transmission exceed 50.
- Volkswagen Polo GTI
The Polo (7 DSG) and 208 fall into the D Band for road tax resulting in a reasonable £110 annual cost. The Polo (6-speed manual), Clio and Fiesta sit in Band E (£130) whilst the Corsa unfortunately emits 174 g/km placing it in Band H (£205).
- Peugeot 208 GTi
Apart from the 1.8-litre Polo GTI, they all use a 1.6-litre engine. Take a look at this chart for power and torque outputs.
So each hot hatch has its own thing going for it, but essentially they're very similar. When we talk about the hot hatch audience, we're talking about several different groups of buyers. For some, price is everything. For others, that 0.1 s in the 0-62 mph sprint is critical.
But for those in the market for something head-turning, well-equipped yet at the same time sensible, the Renault Clio RenaultSport 220 Trophy is the one to go for.
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