Renault Clio RS 2018

[Jaguar-™]

Let’s recap the previous RS, shall we? It felt like a little touring car and locked you into its bucket seats. It had bespoke bodywork with flared arches and no more doors than strictly necessary for a hot hatchback. And it clung to the top of every gear and squeezed every rpm from its – naturally aspirated – 2.0-litre engine. And this new one? Its 1.6-litre petrol engine is turbocharged. It has paddle shifters, with no manual gearbox option. And five mandatory doors. In other words, Renault’s previously hardcore hatch has mellowed somewhat, in search of a broader audience. Oh dear.