Better late than never, it brings us great joy to tell you folks that another new pocket rocket has joined in the Malaysian market as T.C Euro Cars today launched the all-new Renault Clio R.S 200 E.D.C! It is undoubtedly the brand’s most anticipated model of the moment as the market has been eagerly waiting for it’s arrival since last year..
Renault T.C Euro Cars has been teasing us for the past year on the all-new Renault Clio’s arrival to the Malaysian market, however the launch was held back as the production of the right-hand drive version only began late last year. Since however, the new Clio R.S has made appearances at many roadshows in left-hand drive form, and only making us uberly eager for its arrival!
In the flesh, the all-new Clio R.S 200 certainly looks extravagant. Many has nicknamed it as ‘Angry Bird’, especially in yellow it does indeed resemble the fun little pocket game that we know and love. They’ve certainly gotten the word ‘Angry’ right because the new Clio R.S 200 is more than just a looker!
Underneath, it packs a small, however effective 1.6-litre turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that produces 200bhp and 240nm at the disposal of the right foot; channeled through Renault’s own 6-speed dual-clutch E.D.C system to the front wheels. Renault claims that the system will shift as fast as 150 milliseconds, depending on the chosen mode between ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’. Of course, these different modes also alter other driving dynamics like the throttle response, steering feedback and traction control system.
Matched with these tech; the Renault Clio R.S 200 E.D.C will run the Zerotohundred sprint in just 6.7 seconds and all the way to a top speed of 143 mph (230 kmh). At the same time, Renault has not left the little Clio neglected with the RenaultSport’s treatment and expertise. The all-new Clio R.S targets a much wider market and cliental, gifting it with more ease of road usability which many enthusiast may dislike. We were told that it still drives like a charm, and it laps our beloved Sepang Internation Circuit in just 2 minutes 48 seconds, shy of the Megane R.S’s time of 2m43s. We will not be able to tell you more about the drive until we get our hands on it, but we are most definitely looking forward to it!
The party piece of the all-new Clio R.S 200 is the R.S Monitor 2.0 which displays many different information about the car, including a G-Force metre, power and torque curves, performance data and most importantly, a stop-watch fitted through the screen that is link to the car’s GPS system which detects when the car enter’s a circuit, and it will be able to track the car and driver’s lap times and sector times on the run. We think that is an absolute gem of a gizmo!
Unlike previous generation Clio R.S’, the new car comes with 4-doors thus improving practicality. However we don’t think it will sit 4 adults comfortably, but it is always useful as and when it is needed. Given that this is the R.S model, we reckon many won’t be very bothered with the lack in passenger space and be more eager and focused on the car’s driving abilities.
The all-new Clio R.S 200 E.D.C is now on sale with prices starting from RM 168,270 before insurance and we think it will be a scorching head turner to those on the market for a little hot hatch. We welcome the new Clio R.S and we most definitely can’t wait to get our hands on it for a drive! For more information, visit www.renault.com.my or T.C Euro Car’s nearest dealerships.
