Nissan Juke NISMO vs Clio 200 RS: Blood Brothers
It's the new school, like it or not, but who's making best use of the same bits?
Right now the answer would seem to be lower-capacity turbocharged hatches, increasingly in five-door format and possessing dual-clutch transmissions. Chuck in lashings of the latest updatable tech and you have a blueprint for sales success, which the latest Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo mirrors expertly. But there may be an alternative - the hot sports crossover.
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BMW certainly thinks so. However with its Mini Countryman JCW priced close to £30,000 it's seriously testing the financial limit of what is currently a pretty small market niche. The better-equipped and far better value £20,395 Juke NISMO Nissan could be onto something though.
No one predicted that the funkily-styled Juke would be quite such a huge sales success, so why not the hot-hatch rivalling Juke NISMO? Yes - it's a pale imitation of the epic Juke R in terms of performance, and it's likely to be followed by a more focused Juke NISMO RC by the end of the year. But with Clio Renaultsport DNA and desirable Juke styling Nissan has already shifted 886 Juke NISMOs in the UK - outselling the Clio 200 Turbo by more than three to one.
It's more than 20 years since Renault's motorsport-derived Clio Williams first graced UK roads. And 13 since a hot Clio carrying the Renaultsport name made its debut. But although much has changed since the Clio 172 was in its prime, the Renaultsport brand is still held in high esteem by much of the British hot-hatch fraternity. The company's 35-year association with F1 of course has been a major factor. And that's one reason the latest Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo EDC has received so much media attention. Order books opened in April 2013 and to date 270 UK examples have been sold, in either white, silver, black, yellow or red.
The standard 200hp £18,995 model boasts an extensive spec, which includes external goodies like 17-inch alloys, heated door mirrors, tinted windows, an F1-style front blade, a rear diffuser with twin chromed exhaust pipes and a rear spoiler; as well as cabin niceties like air-con, Bluetooth, USB handsfree, cruise control, a leather RS steering wheel and a handsfree key card, and oodles of driver tech including traction and stability control, hill-start assist, switchable RS Drive (with Normal, Sport and Race modes) an electronic RS diff, launch control and a multimedia seven-inch touch screen with satellite navigation. And of course that much-discussed EDC six-speed paddle-shift transmission. If that's not enough kit for you then for an additional £1,000 Renault will sell you an EDC Lux version with climate control, electric rear windows and a superb R-Link uprated media system with TomTom live sat nav and internet apps.
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Nissan's identically-powered Juke NISMO claims a spec every bit as impressive. Starting price is £20,395 for a six-speed manual model (like the one you see here) and that comes with 18-inch alloys, NissanConnect (with sat-nav, Bluetooth and a reversing camera) tinted windows, climate control and heated seats.
Available in Silver Grey, Pearl White or Metallic Black numerous external bodywork changes distinguish the Nimso Juke, which comes with a bespoke aerodynamic package, a horizontal mesh grille, LED running lights and NISMO badging. The engine block is almost identical to the Clio unit but torque is slightly raised, and both front-drive manual and four-wheel drive CVT transmissions are available - the latter adding 137kg to the kerbweight.
The CVT version benefits from a torque vectoring system and multi-link rear suspension but both performance and economy do suffer. However both versions come with Nissan's Dynamic Control System which alters - amongst other things - the throttle mapping, steering effort and suspension settings, as well as providing a range of real-time information like G-force, turbo boost and economy.
And it's no surprise that this media system bears more than a passing resemblance to that in the Clio - Nissan and Renault have been working very closely together for nearly 15 years now sharing platforms, design ideas and technology. Their jointly-developed MR16DDT turbo engine that debuted in 2010 powers both these Franco-Japanese cousins, and boasts variable valve timing plus a 9.5:1 compression ratio. The Clio does receive a bespoke inlet manifold though, plus turbo revisions and a different ECU.
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Both companies are rightly proud of their shared design although neither would confirm quite how far their platform sharing really goes. What's certain is that both are based on the same Nissan-Renault B-segment platform - and this includes some shared electrical components, as well as the same design architecture. They're manufactured separately though, with the Juke NISMO made in Sunderland (alongside all other Jukes) and the Clio assembled at Renault's Alpine-Caterham plant in Dieppe.
With comparable genetics and price tags these two also claim a similar presence on the road - especially if (like our photo cars) they both have the same white, red and black colour scheme. Rear diffusers, big exhausts, hidden rear door handles and blistered arches filled with black multi-spoke alloys are common features. Although as a crossover the pumped-up Juke does sits quite a bit higher and is around 10cm longer too.
Get behind the wheel though and family resemblances disappear in a flash. There's no hiding the fact the Juke NISMO is a mini-SUV/crossover first and a hot-hatch rival second. For starters it understeers far too readily, the steering wheel - although tactile - is just too wimpy, the steering doesn't deliver enough feedback and the exhaust note is too subdued.
And then there are the brakes. With only the weight of a front-row forward between the two rivals you wouldn't expect there to be a big difference, but there is. The Juke's feel far weaker than the Renault's - both in terms on initial bite and ultimate stopping power. That's not to say that the heavier Juke isn't enjoyable to drive though. Far from it - it's just that back-to-back the Clio is on a higher level. But hasn't this latest twin-clutch version gone soft around the edges? Certainly not.
It's every bit as engaging as previous Renaultsport Clios - it's just that what you're actually engaged in has changed slightly. Whereas before you might revel in the free-revving engine and celebrate the almost constant yearning to change cogs, now you're grinning at the way the front end bites into corners, and seeking out every opportunity to put the engine's torque to the test. And that super-quick paddleshifter EDC gearbox begs you to change down and up, and down again. A few PH die-hards of course can't wait to put the boot in, but give them the latest Clio for a week and I wager most of them will change their minds. It may be a bit different, but the Renaultsport Clio's fun factor is still just as high, especially when you enter a corner on a trailing throttle then boot it and the rear-end steps out, as the nose just digs in. Deep.
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As with previous hot Clios the optional £650 Cup chassis is essential, and the RS Drive system with Normal, Sport and Race modes is a hoot - you won't last an hour on the road without trying out the launch control. And anyone who says they've driven the Clio and not tried out the R-Sound Effect exhausts app (which reproduces various engine sounds and plays them through the speakers) is a liar. Your correspondent's personal favourite was the 1969 Alpine 110 1600S.
In terms of both price and spec there's very little to choose between these new Nissaults, or should it be Renans? And their tuning potentials are identical too. But with the Juke NISMO in greater supply and already discounted you can pick up a nearly-new ex-demo model from a dealer for as little as £17,000. Stick to the more enjoyable manual though.
You can't currently get a Clio for less than £19,495, but in terms of ownership costs the sportier Renault claims not only better fuel economy but also lower CO2 emissions - so as long as the looks are aggressive enough for you it's the one to pick.
Nissan's innovative Juke NISMO is undeniably entertaining, but Renaultsport's Clio still holds the aces. However, when a hotter Juke NISMO RC arrives in late 2013 or early 2014 who knows? A touch more hardcore focus could push the Juke mighty close to the Clio.
CLIO RENAULTSPORT 200 TURBO
Engine: 1,618cc 4-cyl
Power (hp): 200@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 177@1,750rpm
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch (EDC)
Kerbweight: 1,204kg
Top Speed: 143mph
0-62mph: 6.7secs
MPG: 44.8 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 144g/km
Price: £19,495 to £23,995
Manufactured: 2013-on
Love it: Renaultsport Clio lineage stretches back twenty years
Loathe it: Why can't we get one with a manual gearbox?
Spotted:2013 Clio RS 200 Turbo Lux, White, 375 miles, £17,995
NISSAN JUKE NISMO
Engine: 1,618cc 4-cyl
Power (hp): 200@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 184@2,400-4,800rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual/Xtronic CVT
Kerbweight: 1,293kg (1,430kg Xtronic CVT)
Top Speed: 134mph (125mph Xtronic CVT)
0-62mph: 7.8secs (8.2secs Xtronic CVT)
MPG (NEDC combined): 40.9 (38.1 Xtronic CVT)
CO2: 159g/km (169g/km Xtronic CVT)
Price: £16,995 to £22,495
Manufactured: 2013-on
Love it: Radical looks, well equipped, exciting brand
Loathe it: Steering and braking fall short of hot hatch standards
Spotted:2013 Juke NISMO, White, 2,500 miles, £16,499
Photos: PrimeExposures
Auto only, expensive, 5 door and most importantly, no decent options to appeal to the traditional more hardcore buyer.
No wonder the Juke, and for a true Clio comparison, the Fiesta ST, seriously outsell it.
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Watched a few reviews and it seems like an ideal chariot. I'm finding gear changes pretty tiresome except for the 5% of the time you get to have a blat. So I'd rather, for the other 95%, have a machine do it for me. Also reading about the little engineering tweaks to the dampers and how they provide a supple ride. Again, after a car with notchy, knobbly hard ride, that will be welcome and 0-60 in mid 6's is plenty fast enough for day to day motoring.
Only one caveat, its a bit ugly so either embrace it and get it in liquid yellow or hide it with a choice of all black. Then there are no HIDs on option for it which is a bit of a let down. Would have finished it off.
Quirky and eccentric.. yes.
Built well, packed with technology.. yes.
Not many of either on the road at the moment. Why does everyone on here hate on something that is a little bit different. At least they look nothing like your bland focuses, astras etc. Everyone seems to only want a german car..... BORING!
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