Skip advert
Advertisement

Renault Sport Clio 220 Trophy review - Is the turbocharged Clio finally any fun? - Performance and 0-60 time

The new Clio gets a facelift, a new exhaust and the Trophy becomes a proper production model

Evo rating
RRP
from £22,425
  • Tenacious and grippy chassis, but one that’s still fun
  • Lacklustre drivetrain and lifeless steering make it hard to enjoy

Performance and 0-60 time

The Trophy’s performance comes in a swell rather than a swift punch; it builds speed fast but in a very linear way. It does feels fast, but not in the rabid, eager sort of way you’d expect of a 217bhp supermini. It feels far too grown-up for a small hot hatch, especially one from the same stable that bought us the insanely fun Clio 200 Cup, Megane R26.R and Twingo 133 Cup.

Advertisement - Article continues below

It’s 0-62 time of 6.6sec is a little slower than its rivals, which is disappointing considering we have to come expect super quick acceleration times from cars with dual-clutch transmissions and launch control.

The 220 Trophy feels like a big car and it weighs in at 1204kg. That’s pretty portly for a hot hatch in this sector, but it goes some way to explaining its slightly slow 0-62mph time. It still has a respectable power-to-weight ratio of 183bhp/ton which, rather amazingly, is punchier than both the Ford Fiesta ST (167bhp/ton) and Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport (176bhp/ton).

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

De Tomaso Pantera (1971-1992) review – the forgotten 1980s supercar
De Tomaso Pantera
Reviews

De Tomaso Pantera (1971-1992) review – the forgotten 1980s supercar

The Pantera is an oft-forgotten, much-misunderstood supercar. Driving the rare GT5-S version shows it deserves its place among the greats
15 Sep 2026
BMW M5 (F90, 2017 - 2023) review – a 600bhp saloon for £35k
BMW M5 Competition F90
In-depth reviews

BMW M5 (F90, 2017 - 2023) review – a 600bhp saloon for £35k

The F90 BMW M5 added polish and all-wheel drive to Munich’s super saloon formula, making it quicker than even its 2026 successor
15 Sep 2026
Volkswagen ID.3 GTI revealed as the most powerful GTI ever
Volkswagen ID.3 GTI
News

Volkswagen ID.3 GTI revealed as the most powerful GTI ever

Following behind the new ID.Polo GTI, Volkswagen has applied the GTI formula to its all-electric ID.3 to make it the most powerful GTI yet
16 Sep 2026