Driving the iconic Renault Sport Clio 172 – car pictures of the week

When it comes to hot hatches, few brands have had a run of success quite like Renault Sport from the turn of the millennium until its demise in 2023. The likes of the Clio 182 Trophy, Megane R26.R and Clio V6 sit firmly among the hot hatch greats, and redefined what could be extracted from a humble runaround. 

But it all started with the Clio 172, the car that debuted the Renault Sport badge and followed up the legendary Clio Williams of the ‘90s. In issue 332 of evo, we revisit the 172 to get a taste of where the modern era of hot Renaults began, and find out how it stacks up 25 years after it launched. Pick up a copy of evo 332 in-store or online via the evo shop to read the full feature. 

In today’s age of 1500kg+, hugely complex mega hatches, it’s strange to think that the 172 was actually considered a little too heavy and mature for a small hot hatch. Sure, it weighs around 50kg more than the Williams, but it’s still very much a no-frills machine with a kerb weight of just 1035kg. That mass is pushed along by a modified 2-litre F4R engine with a healthy 170bhp, with a series of chassis upgrades to give it the verve and agility you’d expect from a flyweight French hot hatch. 

As our man Stephen Dobie found out, it’s as absorbing to drive now as it was then – perhaps more so when fitted with modern rubber. ‘Even on a short, narrow stretch of road you can lean far enough into the car’s reserves to feel involved – or perhaps the 172 is just so generous with its character, so talkative in its controls, that you’d be enraptured simply moving it around your driveway.

‘Tip it into bends with even modest momentum, and it’s as if the front tyre-treads are squirming between your fingers, so rich in feel are the very first millimetres of steering travel. The sensation only builds from there, right up until the moment your confidence peaks and you carry a mite too much speed.’

To read the full test, pick up a copy of evo 332 in-store or online.