2017 Renault Clio RS

Renault Clio RS ‘will never be manual again’, insists executive

A high-ranking Renault official has categorically stated that the Clio RS hot hatch “will never be manual again”.

Speaking to GoAuto, Jean Calcat, who holds the position of Renault Sport general manager of sales, said the French brand would not develop a stick-shift gearbox for the current- nor next-generation Clio RS.

“The Clio RS will never be manual again,” Calcat told the Australian publication.

The current Clio RS, of course, is available exclusively with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

“If you look at the numbers, we roughly sold the same number of Clio IV RS that we did Clio III RS, except we didn’t sell them in the same markets,” he explained.

“In a manual market like UK, it was not very well received, but in other markets its reception was just great, such as in Japan, where it works very well. So that’s compensation.

“Now, the product is reaching the end of its lifespan, so we will not invest with going with a manual gearbox. The ideal car would have been the Clio 16 Concept, and we really looked at producing it in small quantities like we did with the Clio V6.

“Our managing director Patrice Ratti really wanted to market the car, but at the end of the day, we had to accept the fact from the pure profitability standpoint it didn’t make any sense.

Calcat went on to explain that both dual-clutch and manual transmissions were offered for the Mégane RS range since this larger model held broader appeal.

“Will we ever have a Clio RS with the manual transmission – the answer is no. But we did invest in the Mégane RS manual … and we decided Mégane is a broader product offer worldwide.

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/renault-clio-rs-will-never-be-manual-again-insists-executive/
 
Recently got one of the dealer run out RS 200 lux models. Budget couldn’t stretch to the trophy or limited edition sadly. Anyways, what a cracking little car. I checked out the usual suspects before buying (polo gti, fiesta st, abarth 595, cooper S, Adam S) and the Clio came out tops. Not the best car in the segment, but my favorite one, if that makes sense. In Lux trim the suspension is forgiving and comes well kitted, bar leather seats and a sunroof (which I had on my cars and hardly used it but apparently an issue for some prospective buyers) and a reverse cam would have been nice as rear visibility is not the greatest but it does have PDC. The gearbox is not as smooth as a VAG DSG but is acceptable and can handle the daily commute well and odd thrashing about in sport and race mode. The drive is grin inducing everytime, and the car almost coaxes you to have some fun with it. Exhaust has some awesome crackles and pops as well (it’s the standard non Akropvic one). The infotainment system is nice and it even has nav and I love all the pointless telemetry stuff that can be displayed. I mean who does not want to know the EDC Clutch temperate and front left wheel slip % right? One downside is are the short service intervals (10000km) and equally short serve plan to 30000km. The warranty is good though (5yr/150k) and can be extended another 2 years fairly cheaply. The sweetner though was the almost 100k discount on new price (was a demo) and that nobody really wants to steal or highjack them so it’s cheap to insure. I really don’t understand why these battled to sell hence Renault culled it. I guess if people just test drive them before buying polo they might change their mind. I know I will take a bath come time to sell but at least I would have smiled and laughed (and maybe cried if the horror Renault reliability and dealer service stories are to be believed) every day prior to the sale :)
 
XPD said:
Recently got one of the dealer run out RS 200 lux models. Budget couldn’t stretch to the trophy or limited edition sadly. Anyways, what a cracking little car. I checked out the usual suspects before buying (polo gti, fiesta st, abarth 595, cooper S, Adam S) and the Clio came out tops. Not the best car in the segment, but my favorite one, if that makes sense. In Lux trim the suspension is forgiving and comes well kitted, bar leather seats and a sunroof (which I had on my cars and hardly used it but apparently an issue for some prospective buyers) and a reverse cam would have been nice as rear visibility is not the greatest but it does have PDC. The gearbox is not as smooth as a VAG DSG but is acceptable and can handle the daily commute well and odd thrashing about in sport and race mode. The drive is grin inducing everytime, and the car almost coaxes you to have some fun with it. Exhaust has some awesome crackles and pops as well (it’s the standard non Akropvic one). The infotainment system is nice and it even has nav and I love all the pointless telemetry stuff that can be displayed. I mean who does not want to know the EDC Clutch temperate and front left wheel slip % right? One downside is are the short service intervals (10000km) and equally short serve plan to 30000km. The warranty is good though (5yr/150k) and can be extended another 2 years fairly cheaply. The sweetner though was the almost 100k discount on new price (was a demo) and that nobody really wants to steal or highjack them so it’s cheap to insure. I really don’t understand why these battled to sell hence Renault culled it. I guess if people just test drive them before buying polo they might change their mind. I know I will take a bath come time to sell but at least I would have smiled and laughed (and maybe cried if the horror Renault reliability and dealer service stories are to be believed) every day prior to the sale :)
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Congrats man. I got a 2017 trophy, coming from a polo gti, love it for all the same reasons. Those nissan engines are bulletproof. I also got a demo with an effective R70k discount lol. gotta love french car off the floor depreciation.
 
XPD said:
Recently got one of the dealer run out RS 200 lux models. Budget couldn’t stretch to the trophy or limited edition sadly. Anyways, what a cracking little car. I checked out the usual suspects before buying (polo gti, fiesta st, abarth 595, cooper S, Adam S) and the Clio came out tops. Not the best car in the segment, but my favorite one, if that makes sense. In Lux trim the suspension is forgiving and comes well kitted, bar leather seats and a sunroof (which I had on my cars and hardly used it but apparently an issue for some prospective buyers) and a reverse cam would have been nice as rear visibility is not the greatest but it does have PDC. The gearbox is not as smooth as a VAG DSG but is acceptable and can handle the daily commute well and odd thrashing about in sport and race mode. The drive is grin inducing everytime, and the car almost coaxes you to have some fun with it. Exhaust has some awesome crackles and pops as well (it’s the standard non Akropvic one). The infotainment system is nice and it even has nav and I love all the pointless telemetry stuff that can be displayed. I mean who does not want to know the EDC Clutch temperate and front left wheel slip % right? One downside is are the short service intervals (10000km) and equally short serve plan to 30000km. The warranty is good though (5yr/150k) and can be extended another 2 years fairly cheaply. The sweetner though was the almost 100k discount on new price (was a demo) and that nobody really wants to steal or highjack them so it’s cheap to insure. I really don’t understand why these battled to sell hence Renault culled it. I guess if people just test drive them before buying polo they might change their mind. I know I will take a bath come time to sell but at least I would have smiled and laughed (and maybe cried if the horror Renault reliability and dealer service stories are to be believed) every day prior to the sale :)
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Congrats man, and well done for not following the flock. Many happy miles. Post some pics if you get a chance...
 
XPD said:
Recently got one of the dealer run out RS 200 lux models. Budget couldn’t stretch to the trophy or limited edition sadly. Anyways, what a cracking little car. I checked out the usual suspects before buying (polo gti, fiesta st, abarth 595, cooper S, Adam S) and the Clio came out tops. Not the best car in the segment, but my favorite one, if that makes sense. In Lux trim the suspension is forgiving and comes well kitted, bar leather seats and a sunroof (which I had on my cars and hardly used it but apparently an issue for some prospective buyers) and a reverse cam would have been nice as rear visibility is not the greatest but it does have PDC. The gearbox is not as smooth as a VAG DSG but is acceptable and can handle the daily commute well and odd thrashing about in sport and race mode. The drive is grin inducing everytime, and the car almost coaxes you to have some fun with it. Exhaust has some awesome crackles and pops as well (it’s the standard non Akropvic one). The infotainment system is nice and it even has nav and I love all the pointless telemetry stuff that can be displayed. I mean who does not want to know the EDC Clutch temperate and front left wheel slip % right? One downside is are the short service intervals (10000km) and equally short serve plan to 30000km. The warranty is good though (5yr/150k) and can be extended another 2 years fairly cheaply. The sweetner though was the almost 100k discount on new price (was a demo) and that nobody really wants to steal or highjack them so it’s cheap to insure. I really don’t understand why these battled to sell hence Renault culled it. I guess if people just test drive them before buying polo they might change their mind. I know I will take a bath come time to sell but at least I would have smiled and laughed (and maybe cried if the horror Renault reliability and dealer service stories are to be believed) every day prior to the sale :)
Click to expand...

Congrats!

A reverse camera can be fitted :)
 
So when i had my polo, i had zero motivation to do anything unique to it. Not this time round. Alot of cash, time and effort later, finally got a CUP spoiler imported and fitted. Tonight Im having the roof wrapped gloss black to blend it all in.

My end goal is to have an RS16 look done. now just need someone to fabricate the bodykit.

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Renault launches RS Performance parts (starting with Clio RS)

Renault has announced the launch of a new range of RS Performance parts, starting with the Clio RS. The French brand says that while its RS Performance parts will at first focus on the B-segment hot hatch, they will “gradually become available on most RS models” (we’re guessing the firm means the Mégane RS … and perhaps any future RS-badged crossovers).

Items revealed for the Clio RS include a body kit (available in a limited run of 250 units) “inspired by the Clio RS 16 concept” and “Turini” alloy wheels (offered in “Brilliant Black” and “Red”).

The catalogue for the Clio RS furthermore includes a carbon-fibre-backed bucket seat, an exhaust system, high-performance braking and suspension systems and “much more besides” (judging by one of the images above, a carbon-fibre bonnet is also offered). These parts, says Renault, have been designed “especially for track days” and “deliver on-track performance, or make it easier to achieve”.

“RS Performance is a product offering that bridges the gap between sports and racing cars. It is our way of giving track enthusiasts everything they need to customise their Renault Sport vehicle and make it a beautiful, high-performance track day car. And they can now do that with the guarantee of Renault Sport quality and service,” said Guillaume Calvar, RS Performance project manager.

In addition, the automaker plans to offer a full range of workshop products (see image below) bearing the Renault Sport “brand identity”, including a tool trolley, a toolset, a limited-edition spray gun, a garage jack, a tilting lift and a torque wrench.

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/renault-launches-rs-performance-parts-starting-with-clio-rs/

RS Performance parts 1.jpgRS Performance parts 2.jpgRS Performance parts 3.jpgRS Performance parts 4.jpgRS Performance parts 5.jpg
 
Renault launches RS Performance parts (starting with Clio RS)

Renault has announced the launch of a new range of RS Performance parts, starting with the Clio RS. The French brand says that while its RS Performance parts will at first focus on the B-segment hot hatch, they will “gradually become available on most RS models” (we’re guessing the firm means the Mégane RS … and perhaps any future RS-badged crossovers).

Items revealed for the Clio RS include a body kit (available in a limited run of 250 units) “inspired by the Clio RS 16 concept” and “Turini” alloy wheels (offered in “Brilliant Black” and “Red”).

The catalogue for the Clio RS furthermore includes a carbon-fibre-backed bucket seat, an exhaust system, high-performance braking and suspension systems and “much more besides” (judging by one of the images above, a carbon-fibre bonnet is also offered). These parts, says Renault, have been designed “especially for track days” and “deliver on-track performance, or make it easier to achieve”.

“RS Performance is a product offering that bridges the gap between sports and racing cars. It is our way of giving track enthusiasts everything they need to customise their Renault Sport vehicle and make it a beautiful, high-performance track day car. And they can now do that with the guarantee of Renault Sport quality and service,” said Guillaume Calvar, RS Performance project manager.

In addition, the automaker plans to offer a full range of workshop products (see image below) bearing the Renault Sport “brand identity”, including a tool trolley, a toolset, a limited-edition spray gun, a garage jack, a tilting lift and a torque wrench.

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/renault-launches-rs-performance-parts-starting-with-clio-rs/

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those prices though! But i do want the intercooler, and the carbon bonnet, and the bodykit
 
It might be your last chance to jump into a CLIO RS: Renault SA boss gives update on brand’s future

Renault South Africa has confirmed that the French company is no longer a subsidiary of the business’s headquarters in France, but rather an importer that falls under the Motus banner.

Renault South Africa managing director Jaco Oosthuizen said the move to become an importer fell in line with the brand’s global moves, where it would identify large motor groups in particular regions across the world and enable them to become custodians of the brand in those regions.

New strategy for Renault in South Africa

Oosthuizen said Renault has been operational in South Africa in its latest guise for the past 26 years and counting, and had a fascinating history within the country, and with the current developments, was destined to better position and further elevate the brand.

“The shareholding structure of Renault South Africa (Pty) Ltd has changed several times over the years, with the latest development being a 100% shareholding shift. The Competition Commission approved the proposed 40% sale of Global RSAS shares in Renault South Africa (Pty) Ltd to Motus Corporation (Pty) Ltd (Motus) last month. This shareholding movement is completely aligned with the overarching strategic vision ’RENAULUTION’ to ensure the drive to value is a priority for the brand within South Africa, with a continued focus to grow the brand in a responsible manner, in order to remain a strong contender within the South African market,” he said.

Performance cars

On the performance front, you can also expect the current generation Clio RS and Megane RS to be the last hot hatches sold in South Africa from the French company. Renault has bundled its RS division into its Alpine operation (you’ll know it from F1 or the classic A110). Oosthuizen said there were no plans to bring any Alpine division vehicles to South Africa. If you’ve been eyeing a Clio RS or a Megane RS and want one new, now’s probably the ideal time to secure it before you can’t get them anymore in South Africa.

www.iol.co.za

It might be your last chance to jump into a CLIO RS: Renault SA boss gives update on brand’s future

Renault South Africa is embracing a new strategy, one that could see the end of the line for one of our favourite cars of all time
www.iol.co.za www.iol.co.za

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6spdmanual said:
Mhmm. I'm not sure why keyless entry would be a con on a car? @nazmo is the keyless entry bad on this car?
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Biggest negative is I forgot my key in the car and went to work. 9-5... walking back to my car i realised the car was unlocked with key inside. Now i walk away and wait for the beep and mirrors to fold lol. Its a plus in my books too. The keycard has a physical key inside too should batteries die.

So just an update on my trophy. 4 yrs old now, 60 000kms (covid saved me at least 10 000kms).

Mechanicals/unplanned dealership visits - 0
ML of oil topped up - 0
Replaced disks once (R6k for disks and pads fitted)
Got a bit naughty (stage 2) running close on 175kw for 30 000kms . The Akra barks proper now.

With news of no new Clio RS, and prices of new cars. I reckon Im gonna keep this car and get another runaround
 
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