Renaultsport Clio 197

Tormented by traffic, curtailed by congestion and strangled by speed humps, the latest arrival to the Auto Express long-term fleet has felt like a caged animal - until now.

Having spent its first few weeks with us negotiating city traffic, we decided to record on film our new Renaultsport Clio 197's first foray into the countryside.

Even with the weather against us, the hot hatch proved itself every inch a thriller, and we can't wait to get to know it on our favourite roads during the next 12 months. Although it has less than 2,000 miles under its belt, it hasn't taken long for us to become very attached to the racy Renault.

The first thing everyone has commented on is the colour. Shunning metallic paint in favour of this stunning Racing Blue shade, our 197 looks great. And I love the way the designers have managed to give the muscular Clio a squat, purposeful stance.

Get out on the open road and that soon translates into driving drama. At first, the engine's lack of low-down torque and endless desire to rev were a bind, but now that the powerplant has loosened up, it's becoming more flexible. Every prod of the throttle is accompanied by a rasp from the exhaust and acceleration that gradually builds to a crescendo, only brought to an end by the neat shift light instructing you to grab another gear.

Swapping cogs is something we had better get used to - the Clio's gearbox has the shortest ratios we've ever experienced in a modern-day hot hatch. That's great for extracting the full 194bhp from the 2.0-litre engine - and makes nipping around town equally enjoyable. However, it results in a shocking 4,000rpm buzz at motorway speeds. Unfortunately, it was on the M3 in Surrey that the Clio experienced its first hiccup, pick- ing up a puncture from an Allen key on the road. That posed the problem of sourcing a Continental SportContact 3 - a new tyre that's barely made it to aftermarket suppliers. After mistakenly fitting a SportContact 2, the local garage finally found the right rubber and got the Renault back on track.

So are there any other first-term niggles? We're keeping an ear out for an odd rattle that's only detectable at idle, but it's the passenger door that's more of a concern. This doesn't seem to shut properly, as if it has dropped on its hinges. That's not really acceptable for a two-month-old car.

With plenty of rural and urban miles to look forward to, we'll be keeping a close eye on the Clio's progress over the coming months - both inside and outside the confines of the city.

Second opinion
I agree with Chris that the Clio looks fantastic, but I've found the Renault a difficult car to get on with. Its racy set-up and sharp responses mean it's hugely rewarding when tackling twisty B-roads, yet unlike rivals such as the VW Golf GTI, the 197 never gives you the option to take things easy as a daily runabout. If Renault could iron out that flaw, in my eyes the Clio would be the best hot hatch around. Dean Gibson, sub-editor