“This is a decently quick hatchback, but it’s simply not a Clio RS.” It only takes three kilometres in the flame-red Clio RS 200 EDC to form this opinion and, three days later, nothing has changed. I have to point out here that I’m what could be termed a Clio RS (short for RenaultSport) loyalist. The last two cars I owned were a Mk2 Clio RS 182 Cup and a Mk3 Clio RS 197 F1. I enjoyed owning and driving each of these two hot hatches for different reasons. The 182 Cup was a veritable firecracker that felt like it wanted to leap out of its own skin, while the larger, more firmly planted Clio 197 had the chassis balance and grip to embarrass supercars on tight, twisty roads. In this context, the Mk4 Clio RS 200 EDC clearly has sizeable wheel tracks to fill. It follows three generations of RS hatchbacks that were outstanding driver’s cars. The newbie has just landed in our market, with the base model retailing for Dh98,900, and the fully loaded version priced at Dh104,900. Renault has tried to make the latest Clio RS appeal to a broader demographic than its predecessors. Consequently, it has five doors instead of three, and a flappy-paddle automated transmission in lieu of a conventional H-pattern manual gearbox with a clutch pedal. The question I asked even before driving the car was: “Why?” Why would you tamper with a formula that garnered previous Clio RS models a cult following? These cars would regularly trounce the opposition in hot-hatch comparison tests, and they earned the Dieppe-based RenaultSport division a reputation as chassis-tuning magicians. The best analogy for how the latest RS feels compared to its predecessors is to imagine if a well-honed athlete spent six months on the couch, scoffing potato chips. The result would be a softer, more roly-poly individual. That’s how the new Renault comes across from behind the wheel. It’s lost the hair-trigger reflexes, tactility and razor-sharp feel. The brakes, too, lack the mighty stopping power of the previous model. But it’s not all bad news. The new-gen 1.6L turbo engine has lots of torque where you need it – there’s 240Nm from just 1,750rpm – and this makes it quicker and easier to drive in everyday conditions. My old Clio 197 had such a big deficit of low- and mid-range grunt that I’d have to cane it just to stay with the cut-and-thrust of traffic. As much as I love manual gearboxes, they do get tiresome if you’re stuck in the peak-hour crawl in Deira. Clutch in, engage neutral, clutch in, engage first gear, move forward 5 metres, and then repeat ad nauseam. It’s not that much fun. In contrast, the new six-speed EDC dual-clutch sequential gearbox is just as simple to operate as a conventional auto. Slot the lever into “D” and away you go. And in case you get in the mood for some more spirited driving, you can press the “RS Drive” button to yield more aggressive shift points, or simply take charge yourself via the flappy paddles. That said, the transmission is slightly juddery when moving slowly away from rest. On one occasion, it decided in its own wisdom to select neutral when I was driving through a tunnel. Its electronic brain figured it out after a moment’s hesitation and selected a gear, but it was rather odd. The likes of VW have been doing dual-clutch sequential gearboxes for over a decade, but Renault is new at this caper, so I think the company still hasn’t quite nailed it. The new Clio RS isn’t a bad looker – it’s got more visual presence than a VW Golf GTI or Ford Focus ST – two of the mainstays of the local hot-hatch scene. The Clio has more design flair, and it stands out even more in the delectable Liquid Yellow hue that’s one of the colours offered. The interior is also as funky as you’ll find at this price point, with well-sculpted sports seats and Flame Red highlights on the doors, steering wheel, gearshift surround and air vents. The elongated alloy flappy paddles and piano-black trim on the centre console are also pleasing to the eye. Our range-topping test car came equipped with 18-inch rims, multimedia system, Bluetooth radio with USB connectivity, climate control, parking sensors, push-button start, LED daytime-running lights and lots more in the way of kit – but you’d expect that in a small car costing Dh100,000-plus. If the new Clio RS 200 wore any other badge, I would conclude it’s a moderately entertaining and respectably brisk compact hatchback, but given its ancestry, it’s a disappointment. The other problem is that the significantly more powerful, larger Ford Focus ST can be had for less money. Back to the drawing board, RenaultSport. You can do better than this. motoring@thenational.ae