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Renault SA’s enterprising plan for taking the top prize
Renault SA has updated its flagship Clio, the RS variant, and added a more powerful and focused Trophy version, writes Lerato Matebese
Three years ago, Renault launched the latest Clio RS to duke it out with the usual suspects at the time, including the Ford Fiesta ST, Opel Corsa OPC, Peugeot 208 GTI and the stalwart Volkswagen Polo GTI. Its great departure was the fact that it was offered with a 1.6l turbo engine and a double-clutch automatic transmission instead of the high revving, normally aspirated 2.0l engine and manual gearbox of its forbear. Performance wise, the engine gave the model better low-down tractability and remarkably better overall refinement, while the gearbox made it a cinch to drive in the daily traffic commute, thanks to more generous low-down torque. However, the gearbox lacked the dexterity of VW’s equivalent DSG transmission when taking command of the flappy paddles. This meant that it would bounce against the rev limiter in most instances when asked to change up, delaying forward progress, which is not acceptable for those traffic light showdown instances or while chasing quick lap times ...
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