Renault Clio R.S. 200 EDC arrives early

Australia is actually the second best market in the world for the recently-released Megane R.S. 265, the success of which Managing Director Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, expects will translate to the Clio R.S. 200.

"The new Clio R.S. 200 EDC is a versatile hot hatch that is equally at home in the city as on the open road," Hocevar said. "The light hot hatch market has shifted dramatically in the past few years. Renault has watched this shift closely and we have been able to develop the new Clio R.S. 200 EDC to appeal to more buyers than ever before."

A performance step - or three! - above the base Clio, the Clio R.S. 200 is available in four different versions - standard or Trophy, both of which can be had with Sport or Cup-spec chassis.

All add Renault Sport Technologies in the form of a new Renault Sport-enhanced 200hp (147kW) 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, driving through the front wheels, along with a new 6-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission with steering wheel paddle shift controls.

The 1.6 turbo produces around the same power as the naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre it replaces, but torque is increased - up to 240Nm. Both power and torque are delivered earlier in the rev range, too, while launch control and an electronic diff are standard across both chassis variants.

Brakes are larger (320mm front, 260mm rear with red calipers on Cup chassis versions), while unique front and rear bumpers, rear diffuser and spoiler, dual exhaust tips and 17-inch wheels are other features. Choosing the Cup chassis in either standard or Trophy spec adds 18-inch 'Radicale' alloys, which are optional on the Sport chassis version.

R.S. Drive (fitted as standard) offers three modes of driving - Normal, Sport and Race. Each driver-selected mode will automatically adjust accelerator pedal mapping, ESC intervention, power steering, and gear shift speeds - which can be as fast as 150 milliseconds - to best suit the driving situation.

Despite being performance focussed, Renault says the R.S. 200 is still an "easy, enjoyable drive in everyday use".

Two in-car entertainment platforms are offered - Renault's MEDIA NAV and R-Link, the latter exclusive to the Trophy-spec version. Both systems use an 18 cm (7 inch) touchscreen and enable satnav, radio, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free telephony or music audio streaming, as well as USB and 3.5mm connectors. The Trophy also features a world premiere in the form of Bass Reflex technology, along with the new R.S. Monitor 2.0 software.

Rear parking sensors and a rear view camera are standard on the Trophy, as are heated front seats and 'carbon leather' upholstery. The standard Clio R.S. 200 gets cloth trim, but identifying 'R.S.' badging and a leather-wrapped steering wheel are common to both versions.

Pricing for the new Clio R.S. 200 EDC starts at an MSRP of $28,790 for the standard Sport-chassis version, ranging up to approximately $36,790 for the Cup-chassis Trophy (prices exclude ORCs).

Images: Peter Watkins imagery