Review of the new Renault Clio World Series

The World Series has been the premier baseball competition on the planet since it started in 1903. The world isn't invited to play, of course, with only teams from the USA and Canada taking part but it can watch if it's interested, and has the right satellite dish. Renault's Clio World Series is nothing whatsoever to do with major league baseball. It's a special edition spin-off from the 'World Series By Renault', a single-seater motorsport competition held at famous circuits around Europe. With competitors from a dozen or so countries, it may even have a greater claim on the World Series title than its baseball equivalent and Renault will be hoping for similarly high levels of participation where its special edition Clio is concerned.

Don't expect a hot hatchback that can give a 425bhp 'World Series By Renault' racecar a run for its money around Silverstone or the Circuit de Catalunya. The Clio World Series is targeted at the budget end of the market and even the fiery Renaultsport 200 model that tops the Clio range will be well out of its league in terms of pace. Most buyers of fast hatchbacks would agree that half of the appeal is in the way the cars look and with the Clio World Series, it's something closer to three quarters. Customers get the style of a high performance Clio without the high performance and the associated costs.

There are three engines. The entry-level option is affordable but uninspiring with 74bhp and a 1.2-litre capacity. It's not going to let anybody down but the kind of customer attracted by the racy image of the Clio World Series might want something extra under the bonnet. The 0-60mph increment takes 13.4s and there's a top speed of over 100mph. Much better, but priced accordingly, is the 1.2-litre TCE engine which generates 99bhp with the aid of a turbocharger. This feels altogether sprightlier in the Clio and thrives on a more vigorous driving style. With this unit, 0-60mph takes 11s and 114mph is attainable. The final option is Renault's 1.5-litre dCi diesel stalwart, this time in 85bhp form. It's a solid engine with a good hit of torque from low revs but little to excite in the upper echelons of the rev range. It feels quicker than its 12.7s 0-60mph time and 108mph top speed suggest.

"The cars echo the dynamic appearance of Renault's acclaimed Clio Renaultsport models"

Today's Clio is a big car, even by modern supermini standards. It weighs-in at well over a tonne and while progress can be sluggish with the normally-aspirated 1.2-litre powerplant doing the legwork. The refinement in the cabin is very impressive with minimal wind and road noise. As with all Clio IIIs, there's tenacious grip and taut body control that invites swift cornering. The ride quality also wouldn't seem out of place in a car a class higher.

The whole point of the Clio World Series is the way it looks. If you don't get on with hot hatch styling cues and an aggressive road-hugging stance, this may not be the Clio for you. There's an extended front bumper, side skirts and a sports rear bumper while the exterior is also littered with WSR (World Series By Renault) badging to underline its link to the race series. The car looks suitably sporty and will definitely put informed bystanders in mind of the well respected Renaultsport Clio offerings which is the effect that Renault's target market will be looking for.

The Clio's generous size helps it serve up plenty of passenger space and the quality of the cabin environment also impresses. There's a generously proportioned boot of 288 litres that will also come in handy. Beneath the skin, Renault's focus has been on increasing refinement on the Clio and today's model features upgraded sound-deadening measures to combat engine, transmission and wind noise.

Based on the three-door Dynamique models from the standard Clio range, the World Series variants come well equipped. Prices have been kept attractive too as customers save £680 on the price of ordering a Dynamique model and adding the World Series styling accessories from the options list.

All Clio models get power steering, a trip computer, body-coloured bumpers and side mouldings, remote central locking and a height adjustable steering wheel. In World Series trim, there's 16" alloy wheels and air-conditioning too. The Clio III has excellent neutral weight distribution and some serious brakes to prevent an accident happening in the first instance. It is delivered as standard with Generation 8 Bosch ABS plus electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and emergency brake assist (EBA). Other options include electronic stability programme (ESP) incorporating ASR traction control, understeer control and MSR engine torque overrun regulation.

It's the less powerful engines in the Clio range that are fitted to the World Series model and while that might truncate the fun slightly, it means major benefits at the pumps. The 1.2-litre normally aspirated engine returns 48mpg with 139g/km emissions but more impressive is the feisty 1.2 TCE turbo unit that gets nearly 49mpg despite its superior performance. None of the petrols can hold a candle to the 1.5 dCi diesel with regards to running costs though. It can return over 64mpg on the combined cycle with 115g/km emissions putting it amongst the greenest superminis around.

Insurance is group 3 for the entry level car and group 4 for the others. A genuine 198bhp Clio Renaultsport, by contrast, is group 15.

It's true that the Clio World Series special edition models have the performance hatch looks without the performance but in this day and age, that's a very attractive combination. The cars echo the dynamic appearance of Renault's acclaimed Clio Renaultsport models but use the more economical engines in the range to achieve manageable running costs. That mix will be the right up the street of many prospective buyers.

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Renault Clio 1.2 TCE Dynamique TomTom 3dr Hatchback
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