I’m somewhat late to this debate, but I’m always fascinated to hear the for and against arguments on the inclusion of the dual-clutch gearbox in the Renaultsport Clio, a move that when announced last September at the Paris motor show caused a stir among RS aficionados and wider enthusiasts alike.
Now I’m someone who had no problem with the move, so long as it was well executed and kept the character of previous RS Clios in the process. After all, it hasn’t seemed to dampen enthusiasm for the new Porsche 911 GT3.
I finally got a go in the new RS Clio last month, with extensive runs on road and track. On the road, I liked it. It’s a more relaxing car to drive and easier to live with for much of the time, but can still come alive when you really want it to as all good RS Clios do, and the new gearbox certainly didn’t get in the way.
But on track it was a different story. Even with the gearbox in Race mode, I just couldn’t get on with it. The paddles didn’t feel right, the ratios didn’t seem well spaced, and the software within the gearbox conspired to do things that blunted performance rather than aiding it.
Last night I had the chance to meet Philippe Klein, Renault’s chief product planner and a man who had a key say in the RS Clio’s change of direction. He smiled when I asked him the ‘why?’ question, no doubt it being one he’s fielded a lot these past 12 months.
“We don’t have any figures yet on how well it has gone down as it’s still too early,” he said. “But certainly we’ve had a lot of discussion about it internally and have had very different opinions on it.
“Some people say it is not radical enough to be a Renaultsport Clio, with the DCT and the front suspension. Yes, it’s changed from the classic application but it remains in the sports environment.
“Some, not all, have changed their minds after extensively driving it. Some still find it too easy. It’s a matter of tastes. Our objective is not to forget the people who like the radical approach, but we want to please more customers.”
Here’s the important bit. “We will review it and can review it in the future,” said Klein. Don’t expect the manual to return, but it sounds like there’s a desire somewhere within Renault to give the RS Clio its hard edge back, be it through chassis changes or tweaking the ratios, logic etc of the gearbox, or even the feel of the paddles themselves.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Exactly
Why cant we have both? they are not mutually exclusive.
Perfect Combo
This is exactly the development I was looking for to tempt me back into a RenaultSport. The clutchless transmission route is a real plus in day-to-day living and vehicle ownership in the UK. Combining this with a small performance car is the exact combo that I am looking for. Track days aren't a consideration for me the subtleties and talk about skill in manual gear changes for fraction of a second lap time improvement are interesting, but theoretical topics in considering a vehicle purchase. The fact that an auto change is going to be reliably consistent time and time again is more of a factor that the one ideal lap. The way I see it this technology will eventually be the norm - the idea of moving a stick about to change ratios is a throwback that will become obsolete. Congratulations to Renault in taking a brave decision to implement it in a new class. Too expensive, though and in such a critical model for the brand I would like to have seen value also as a plus point. In comparison with the Fiesta ST and 208GTi economy and emissions figures it's also a little in the shade - a shame for a new engine and maybe a deal breaker?
Not on my list
I certainly would not include the Renault if I was after a small hot hatch. Maybe a bigger car for the effortless cruising and touring but for a hot hatch no thankyou. As much as I'm not a fan of ford hot hatches I would in this case have to go for the Fiesta ST.