Clio MK5 RS Line
You cant really turn down the opportunity to be given the key to the all new Renault Clio, having owned 3 models of Mk4 Clio including the DCi and the Renaultsport 220 Trophy i was keen to see how this all new platform RS Line would fair against its predecessor. Owning 2 MK4 models petrol and diesel it would give me a decent idea of how the Renault MK5 RS Line has moved it on.
I'll split the car into catergories to explain my thoughts and opinions
Exterior
Straight off the bat you can see the difference in headlights, Renault introduced these style headlights with the Mk4 Megane back in 2016 and seems that every Renault model is following suit, good! Very distinctive, i love them, to me its a signature style. When you're out on the road and see these headlights lit up to me you instantly know it's a Renault! Like the MK 220 Trophy,The RS Line has full LED headlights. Amazing on night time driving, they're really bright and white with a nice even spread of beam in front. Nice subtle touches with the new style RS badges just to highlight you own the top of range Clio model, couple that with the beautiful Iron Blue it really is a car you can stand back and admire along with the 17" diamond cut alloy wheels.
Blink for a split second and you'd think it was the Mk4 Megane with the headlights and the sculpt lined bonnet, the Clio is like the baby Megane. It was actually mistaken for its bigger model brother a couple of times over the weekend, not for the first time it will be mentioned in the same regard as the Megane. I think thats a massive compliment to the new Clio, it really has grown up in its looks.
Interior
Wow what a difference! This for me is the biggest change for the Clio, instantly i notice a few similarities between the Megane again. Materials used on the dash and door cards are akin to the RS Megane 280 which i actually own. Mood lighting in the door cards, interior headlight console and on the centre console with a choice of many colours. This makes me feel that you're sitting in a car thats pretty much on par with its biggest brother. The seats were really comfortable. I drove 650 miles in 2 days and can really say if it wasn't for the early start and the need for caffeine at 8am i could have driven the 278 miles in one stretch! Front seats have actually been made thinner to give more interior space which was noticed when we had a passenger sit in the rear, again really comfy with good leg room.
Like mobile phones the tech involved nowadays has moved into cars, the glass tablet style screen is a size comparible again the Megane, in fact it's the biggest touch screen in its sector. I would say the glass is a better touch feel and easier to clean than the Megane screen. Its like a big tablet you can personalise to make sure everything is at your fingertips for ease. Drag and drop items to your home screen, swipe left or right for more features, then below piano style shortcut keys for quick access when on the move. The biggest difference and for me better than the Megane is the twist dial heating controls, why do i have to swipe up on a screen more than once to access how fast, slow, hot or cold i'd like the fan speed and heat?! For me its a bit of a distraction when driving whereas in the RS Line they're permanently in view, easy to twist change and subtly lit which doesn't detract from the cabin, the different choice mood lighting rightly takes centre stage.
This is where the RS Line shines in what it has to offer in options, you genuinely have a lot of car for the money. Everyone who asked me the list price on the model i was driving were amazingly surprised at the price for how much you get in return.
The Drive
This surprised me, on paper and from what other people were saying they werent expecting much from a 1.3 turbo with 130hp. But when you have 177ft/lbs torque from 1600rpm that really helps pick up speed to national speed limits quite respectably. This makes a big difference to the drive on a long journey especially when having to overtake slower vehicles on the motorways, with lower power cars it feels more of an event and effort to overtake a slower vehicle which adds to the trip. It really picks up nicely with that low down torque, even with 2 passengers it didn't make much difference when pressing the throttle pedal. Couple that with the seamless gearchange of the EDC gearbox and its effortless driving, around town, multiple roundabouts with stop-start driving it just lets you concentrate on the drive. Press the Mode button to change into Sport and this changes the gearbox software, on those twisty B roads it becomes more focused holding the revs longer in both up and downshifts. For the person who wants that little extra away from the town and motorways just to bring the RS Line alive, hitting that Sport button does this. So the Clio gives you that extra dimension, it can more than do all the daily duties with that big boot for the shop. But once the car's emptied and you fancy a spirited drive, the Clio in Sport will give you that respectable B road drive.
Suspension was compliant when stretching its legs across the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, it took the humps and bumps with ease. Damping nicely with little rebound it sticks to the road quite well, cruising the motorways was more than comfortable. If you really want to push my only advice would be to upgrade the Continental tyres to Michelin, no biggy just personal preference in how confidence inspiring Michelins are when really provoking a car on B road blasts. The Continental tyres everyday are good enough.
In a nutshell
What a fantastic car! It's really moved on from the Mk4, great value for money. I've constantly compared it to the Megane in many ways, in looks and spec. I really feel its knocking on the Meganes door in a few ways, again a massive compliment to the Clio. It's a great all rounder and packed with so many options for a model of Renault thats at the foot of the ladder. The small RS logo touches to distinguish top of the range status with a nimble chassis and a pokey powerplant to boot, it really makes this a fantastic car to be in.
Would i buy one? Yes, trade in the Megane 280? yes. When i've had my time in the Megane and circumstances change, i can comfortably say that the RS Line would be enough for me as a daily all rounder.
