Having witnessed a test drive of the all-new Clio RS, done by Renault itself, and watched the few driving videos they put out, we now get one-step closer to a review with yet another shotgun ride video, and by that we mean a Renault test driver taking someone out for a ride. We already covered a similar video done for the Peugeot 208 GTi, so now it’s the turn of the even-more-hotly-anticipated Clio RS.
Thankfully, because it was not done by a major automotive publication, the whole approach just seems a bit more down to earth and honest, and it really made us pay attention to what the Renault rep was saying to Vadim Ovsiankin, courtesy of whom we are bringing you this video.
We’ll spare you the technical details which you probably know already, and tell you that the Clio RS genuinely seems like a fun little car. However, not having driven the car ourselves, or at least seen a few well-documented reviews, we will not cast a verdict on that.
We also viewed how the car’s Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) gearbox went about doing its job, when left in automatic mode, as well as how quickly it reacts to a paddle shift. When it comes to the latter, it really seemed impressively sharp – at least if it’s really good, a manual variant won’t be so sorely missed.
What we do think will be missed is the racket made by the two-liter engine, which was loud and unrefined, but it was very eager and instantly-responsive on the throttle.
Still, as a package in today’s market conditions, the Clio RS still seems like a good way to go. However, it will face very stiff competition from the Peugeot 208 GTi, Ford Fiesta ST, VW Polo GTi and its spin-offs.
By Andrei Nedelea
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