It must be a rather odd time to be the press fleet manager at Renault. For the best part of 15 years, long-term Renaultsport test cars have been returning home with a set of fingernails embedded in the bumper and a river of salty tears down the bonnet. And now, with the new Clio 200 Turbo, that humiliating farewell ritual and unwelcome parting gift is no more. Still, I guess I have to be thankful that I'm walking away from this relationship with my dignity intact.
Turning its back on heritage hasn't worked
The simple fact is Renaultsport has uncharacteristically dropped the ball with the Mk4 Clio. That's a hard thing to say as someone who has owned, admired and lusted after Renaultsports over the years, but there's no escaping the reality. It's a fumble made all the more shocking because it comes after a celebrated winning streak that reads like a who's who of hot hatch heroes. And while living with one for almost a year has definitely unearthed some positives, there has never been enough Va Va Voom to take our relationship beyond the purely platonic.
From the moment it was announced, the Clio 200 EDC faced an uphill challenge. That it would alienate some of the traditional devotees was inevitable; that it has seemingly failed to attract a new and more mature audience - in the UK at least - is more surprising.
Still at home in the paddock, 'sensible' or not
Now, I'm a realist and we all know the move to turbocharging was unavoidable. Adding a couple of doors is begrudgingly tolerable; it's definitely practical. But the step too far on this Clio 200 is the gearbox. Clumsy and lethargic, it's a poor example of a dual-clutch system and it stymies any kind of meaningful interaction as a driver.
Downshifts in the fastest mode (Race) have always been acceptable. Ratios are swapped with a blip, and often a pop from the exhaust, and they usually arrive about the same time as the paddle has sprung back to rest. Upshifts, though, are a different matter. First to second takes around a second. From there on, it gets a bit better, but once again the shift rarely arrives before you've released the paddle. Remember those early digital cameras, where you had to try and pre-empt the delay by pressing the shutter before the action? Well it's a lot like that with the EDC gearbox. Pull the paddle...and...there's the shift.
The move to a dual-clutch 'box should have brought the benefit of a relaxing, docile, auto mode for pottering around town. But even here, the RS disappoints. Sometimes the 'box inexplicably clings on to a ratio, refusing to shift up even on a constant throttle at 3,000rpm. Such random frustrations eventually led me to abandon auto mode and RS Sport and drive everywhere in Race, even if that means turning off the traction and stability control.
Clio put some miles in during our tenure
At least there's a comfortable, well-built interior to bang your head against. It's on another level to the previous Clio 200, and easily trumps both the Fiesta ST and 208 GTI. The infotainment system has thrown a couple of strops, but 90 per cent of the time it has worked perfectly. Ride quality is also a big step forward; sporty but civilised, a great compromise between comfort around town and B-road control. Economy and practicality have been improved too, and it all adds up to far more refined product than anything that has gone before.
As tough as it is to look beyond the failures of the gearbox, doing so does unearth some talent, and a glimmer of hope that an updated Clio 200 might bring back Renaultsport's mojo. The chassis, most importantly, is a good'n. Not as taut and pointy as the previous 200 Cup, but brilliantly stable and perfectly damped - those hydraulic bump stop equipped damper struts never losing their composure, even when they run out of travel. The steering has a more natural weighting than the Fiesta ST and better communication than the 208 GTI, and it's only when I've taken it on track that I've really missed the lack of a limited slip differential. With trailed brakes and aggressive steering inputs it will also oversteer and tripod as well as any of its predecessors.
Drive it like you stole it style works best
Though the direct-injection, 1.6 turbo engine is far from characterful, particularly as you close in on the lowly 6,000rpm limiter, the extra torque and improved usability over the old F4R definitely makes it a more effective tool for covering ground. What you don't get is the same level of satisfaction and engagement that came from working that old VVT 2.0-litre.
I'm convinced an updated Clio can get back in the game. Absolutely key to any turnaround is sorting out the gearbox. It desperately needs more immediacy to fully involve you, as driver, in the experience. A snappier paddle movement and a tactile click to accompany each shift would be nice too. Of course there is always the option of just bunging a manual in there...
Having driven the Megane Trophy R recently, it's crystal clear that Renaultsport still knows how to make an absolutely amazing hot hatch. More puzzling is there's such a chasm between the halo model and the everyman's version. Get out of one and into the other and you can't quite believe they share the same parentage; it's as if there's been a mix-up at the maternity ward. Should Renaultsport squeeze five per cent of the Trophy R's feral brilliance into the Clio, it will be transformed.
Sad to see it go? Not really. Keen to see what a gen two model brings to the table? Definitely.
FACT SHEET
Car: Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo EDC LUX
Run by: Danny Milner
On fleet since: April 2014
Mileage: 12,450
List price new: £21,835 (Basic list of £19,995 plus £650 for Cup Chassis, £300 for 18" Renaultsport wheels and Dunlop Sport Maxx RT tyres, £595 for Flame Red i.d. metallic paint, £295 for Renaultsport Monitor)
Last month at a glance: An emotional farewell for the Renaultsport Clio? Err...