2017 Renault Clio RS 200 Trophy - Tunnel Hunting (Car Review)

 

There’s always been something special about Renault hot-hatches. They ooze personality and excitement and always seem to plumb an insane amount of power through the drivetrain, while still managing to handle like they’re on rails.

The Renault Clio RS 200 Trophy is a step up from the Clio RS 200 LUX, offering all the tech and safety of the LUX but throwing in a few party pieces. The Trophy is fitted with a Trophy chassis, lowered suspension, red brake calipers, black leather sport seats, 18-inch alloy wheels and a RS-tuned Akrapovic exhaust system.

It’s that last addition that got us excited. The exhaust note, complete with crackles, pops and bangs (which naturally brought out the 5-year old in us) got us so enthused that we just had to go and find a few tunnels to blast through. It’s a petrol-head thing and the concept may appear infantile… ok, it is, but we don’t care!

Many have criticized the new Clio RS for having moved away from a traditional row-your-own 6-speed manual gearbox in favour of a 6-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch). While purists will scoff this until the end of days, truth be told, the EDC is a very enjoyable gearbox to use. In Track mode, the hair-trigger throttle response isn’t ideal, but once on the move it all responds very well.

The Renault Clio RS 200 Trophy retails for R418 900 or R5 199pm when taken over 72 months with a 20% deposit, 30% residual at a rate of 10.5% through Group1 Renault Finance, subject to approval