By: Henrie Geyser

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It might look the cool smartly-suburbia type, but don't be mistaken; panache is not this little devil's passion. Squirting off the line and being glued to the road is the heart and soul of this particular Clio.

And yes, it is small. At a casual glance, particularly from the front, it doesn't seem all that much different from its eight 1.2-, 1.4- and 1.6-litre baby Clio brothers and sisters.

But step a little closer and you'll pick up the differences immediately. The lower, crouching stance, the gaping gills and air-dams, the menacing black mesh grille, the triangular bazooka-size central exhaust outlet, the Brembo brag-badges on the four-pot front calipers, the 17-inch racing rims and the body-moulded racing seats spell it out quite clearly - this is no ordinary little runabout.

And ordinary it's definitely not.

With a lively fuel-injected 2.0-litre under the hood, the Clio Sport blasts out a healthy 145kW and 215Nm which makes the 0-100km/h dash within easy reach of 7.8 seconds and a 212-plus top speed seem like a stroll in the park.

OK, so there are quicker hatches out there, but not many that look as good and perform quite as dynamically as this Clio.

This little Frenchie is fun in capital letters. Feed it as much juice as you like, rip through the gears and throw it around the bends with abandon and it comes up trumps every time.

It has been a long time since I've had so much fun in a little car.

And one of the most amazing things of this particular Renault is that it performed with such comfort and ease, without a creak or a groan, and with tremendous enthusiasm, in spite of the fact that it had been hammered mercilessly through two sets of tyres and further than 18,000km by a number of other motoring journos before I slid behind the wheel for my week-long stint.

Any car that can survive that sort of flat-out punishment and come out smelling of roses deserves the highest respect.

But don't get me wrong. This small two-door four-seater is not only just an out-and-out plaything. It comes with all the mod cons, including climate control, a CD/radio audio system with controls on the wheel, electric windows, trip computer, central locking, cruise control, multiple airbags and foglamps.

Right, so the boot space is cramped, legroom is not exactly generous at the rear and, with only two doors, getting in and out of the back is not all that comfortable.

And yes, to be expected, the ride is firm to hard, but not so that it'll knock the fillings out of your teeth. Besides, the ground-hugging suspension slots in perfectly with the car's sharp steering, super-slick gearbox (if a little short on the gaps between gears), brick wall brakes and excellent body balance

The cabin is stylish and sportingly appointed, with handsome metal-rimmed dials, silver gauges, drilled metal pedals, and stubby, short-throw gear lever all adding their own fun.

At R213,000 the Clio is by no means a cheap little commuter car. In fact, exactly the opposite. It's quite expensive, a tad impractical and much better suited to two aboard than four.

But then hot hatches are made for fun, not for being boringly functional or practical. And, quite frankly, when it comes to enjoying yourself, the fun meter in the Clio Sport runs right off the clock.

Stylish, sporty, sophisticated, suave, cute and exciting is what this muscular little mean machine is all about - and I want one. Right now. Please....

[31 Mar 2008 15:09]

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