Suffice to say our long-term loan with a
Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo
gave us quite a few ideas for how it might be improved. Ideas Renault claims - directly - to have listened to and addressed with the uprated and updated
220 Trophy
we had a look around just before its Geneva debut.
Faster, more focused and hopefully more fun
A 10 per cent power bump derived from a bigger turbo, more boost and new mapping obviously grabs the attention but the devil is in the detail of the Trophy. Torque also climbs from 177lb ft in the current 200 to 192lb ft but there's more where that came from and in fourth and fifth gears the Trophy gets 'Torque Boost' to 206lb ft. Intake and exhaust have improved breathing and the redline increases from 6,500rpm to 6,800rpm.
The compulsory double-clutch automated gearbox has also, thankfully, been "substantially recalibrated" and is apparently 50 per cent faster in shifts while also claiming "greater flexibility" for "more comfortable driving in built-up areas" whatever that means. On track the increased rev limit means you can downshift earlier too, hopefully mitigating that frustration we found of pulling the left paddle to shift down but having the computer say no.
Quicker steering, no Recaro option still
Suspension is 20mm lower front and 10mm lower rear, the dampers are firmer and the springs are 40 per cent stiffer. One of the things we liked about our 200 was the fact it was comfortable as well as composed on the track; if the new set-up can keep the flow but dial in a bit more pointiness and playfulness we'll be happy.
Finally the steering has been speeded up, the rack going from 14.5:1 to 13.2:1 while the 'Radical' 18-inch wheels wear Michelin Pilot Super Sports.
This is all good but, while we weren't expecting the manual gearbox we'd really have liked, there will still be some disappointment that the optional heated/leather/integrated headrest Trophy seats (an extra £1,600) aren't as extreme and hip hugging as the Recaros seen on previous hot Clios. Nor is there a mechanical limited-slip diff like that fitted to the Peugeot 208 GTI 30th - the electronic R.S. Diff is your lot. There are plenty of extra toys available though, including Renaultsport Monitor V2 for £295. The Frost White i.d. matt paint/black roof combo is an additional £1,300; Glacier White, Deep Black, Flame Red and Liquid Yellow are also available.
There's a showdown looming here!
The standard car hasn't been totally ignored though, a range of updates to bring it up to EU6 standard meaning an improvement in mpg and CO2 (now 47.9mpg and 133g/km) that drops it two BIK bands and also brings it down a VED category. The EU6 200 also gets the torque increase to 192lb ft, albeit without the Trophy's Torque Boost. The base 200 starts at £19,130, the Lux costs £20,280 and the 220 Trophy £21,780.
CLIO RENAULTSPORT 220 Trophy (200 Turbo EU6)
Engine: 1,618cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220@6,050 (200@6,000rpm)
Torque (lb ft): 192@2,000/207@2,000 in 4th and 5th (192@2,000)
0-62mph: 6.6sec (6.7sec)
Top speed: 146 mph (143mph)
Weight: 1,204kg
MPG: 47.9 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 135g/km (133g/km)
Price: £21,780 (£19,130)
Figures in brackets for EU6 model Clio 200