MINI Cooper S 5 Door 2.0 (A) vs Renault Clio R.S. 1.6T Sport (A)
25 May 2015|21,698 views
Thanks to increasing competition among the airlines, it is now more affordable for Asians to enjoy a trip to Europe. And in the automotive world, it's a similar story. Where European cars primarily used to be in the spending territory of the affluent, they may be closer within reach for Asians now, thanks to a new wave of smaller and cheaper models.
Thus, we put two European hot hatches together to find out if it's worth paying a bit extra to go to Europe. From the United Kingdom is the new MINI Cooper S 5 Door while on the other side of the English Channel, we have the Renault Clio R.S. Sport that represents France.
So which destination should it be for the first European hot hatch experience?
Exterior
The MINI 5 Door retains the retro-chic design that is still as exciting today as it was back when the original new MINI hit the streets.
There is the familiar squat stance and a squarish overall that gives the car an unmistakable identity. As a result, fans of the brand will see no loss of the funky vibes with this five-door variant.
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Nevertheless, it has gained two more entry/exit points and is slightly larger than its three-door sibling, and although it may not be quite as cute as the latter, it will not put people off.
On the other hand, the successor to the cult favourite Clio F1 Team R27, the new Clio R.S. has also effectively grown up with two extra doors now.
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Measuring 4,090mm x 1,945mm x 1,432mm (L x W x H), the Renault is larger than its predecessor and also 85mm longer, 218mm wider and 7mm taller than the MINI, and this grants it a greater road presence.
The French car also looks the business with its sleek lines and go-faster bits such as a Gloss Dark Metal F1-style aerodynamic front blade, a rear spoiler as well as a diffuser with integrated rectangular chrome twin exhaust tips.
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Interior
The cabin of the MINI retains all the familiar trademark and funky design cues such as the big central dial, toggle switches and many more. It feels more like a luxury car than a typical city runabout.
Its leather seats are comfy, with plenty of shape and contour to hold the occupants in place, while quality materials and metal finishing lift the overall upscale feel.
The interior of the MINI 5 Door feels more spacious than what its exterior dimensions suggest. There is no shortage of headroom and shoulder room for a city car but legroom at the rear can still get a little tight for taller passengers.
Although there is designated seating for five, the rear quarters remain suitable for two. That said, the car's boot space has expanded by 67 litres over the regular MINI, giving its occupants more room for cargo.
Over on the other side, the French car's cockpit is a racier place to be, with well-bolstered sports seats, a neat and tidy dashboard design dominated by a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and splashes of colour throughout - we particularly liked the zingy red seatbelts and trim highlights of the car.
Unfortunately, with its hard plastics and door surfaces, the overall feeling of quality cannot be matched up to the MINI.
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The plus side is the Renault's rear space and access. Affording the car with a set of rear doors means that it is entirely more practical than its predecessor's three-door layout, and despite its proportions, there is a decent amount of room in the car.
Three passengers will also fit more comfortably across the rear bench as opposed to the MINI's two. The Renault's boot is also considerably larger than the MINI's at 300 litres, so more barang barang is not a problem.
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The Drive
Under the bonnet, the latest generation MINI has a 2.0-litre turbocharged lump paired to a slick six-speed automatic. The four-cylinder is sporty and spirited, building power quickly under load but its torque is really the show-stopper.
As a result, the car takes only 6.8 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h. In addition to the strong performance, there's also an addictive, deeply growly engine note that complements a great sounding exhaust.
MINI prides itself on its 'go-kart' handling and the car is responsive and engaging to drive with a sharp and well-weighted steering.
 |  |
On the other hand, the Renault's engine is a smaller 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that seems to hesitate a little from standstill before it decides to burst on to the scene with a rousing amount of power.
Married to this engine is an Efficient Dual-Clutch gearbox that also has a minor lull in proceedings but its shifts improve at higher speeds. In spite of the various delays, the car still manages to hit the century mark in 6.7 seconds - 0.1 seconds faster than the MINI.
The Renault is also racier with its R.S. Drive multi-mode system that includes Normal, Sport and Race settings, with the latter disabling the electronic stability control entirely.
Launch Control - not advisable for use on public roads - comes as standard and is accompanied by a wicked little exhaust stutter and burble when the car is let off its leash.
Nonetheless, in general day-to-day driving, the Clio R.S.'s lighter steering could prove more liveable than the MINI, not to mention its ride, which, while far from perfect, deals with imperfections in a smoother manner than its competitor here.
Despite all that, and the fact that this is not the sporty-biased Clio R.S. Cup that has a quicker steering rack, 15 percent more stiffness and a 5mm lower ride height, the Clio R.S. Sport still hangs on well in corners.
Conclusion
While these hot hatches are bigger and badder than they've ever been, each of them approaches the game with a different strategy.
The MINI, despite its firmer ride, is the more mature and premium feeling car, yet also the one that has the most rewarding steering and handling like how a hot hatch should be driven.
On the contrary, the Clio R.S. offers a great blend of pace and practicality, and it comes with a more comfortable ride than its rival, which makes it a little easier to live with too. This is offset, however, by a slightly bemused transmission, a more aloof steering as well as handling that isn't quite as sharp as its rival.
Not considering the MINI's higher price ($181,300 as of 22nd May 2015), it's still a superb car to be had, and that's enough for us to give it the win here, by the smallest of margins. So if you're planning your first European hot hatch experience, it's hard to go past Great Britain's finest.
Thanks to increasing competition among the airlines, it is now more affordable for Asians to enjoy a trip to Europe. And in the automotive world, it's a similar story. Where European cars primarily used to be in the spending territory of the affluent, they may be closer within reach for Asians now, thanks to a new wave of smaller and cheaper models.
Thus, we put two European hot hatches together to find out if it's worth paying a bit extra to go to Europe. From the United Kingdom is the new MINI Cooper S 5 Door while on the other side of the English Channel, we have the Renault Clio R.S. Sport that represents France.
So which destination should it be for the first European hot hatch experience?
Exterior
The MINI 5 Door retains the retro-chic design that is still as exciting today as it was back when the original new MINI hit the streets.
There is the familiar squat stance and a squarish overall that gives the car an unmistakable identity. As a result, fans of the brand will see no loss of the funky vibes with this five-door variant.
Nevertheless, it has gained two more entry/exit points and is slightly larger than its three-door sibling, and although it may not be quite as cute as the latter, it will not put people off.
On the other hand, the successor to the cult favourite Clio F1 Team R27, the new Clio R.S. has also effectively grown up with two extra doors now.
Measuring 4,090mm x 1,945mm x 1,432mm (L x W x H), the Renault is larger than its predecessor and also 85mm longer, 218mm wider and 7mm taller than the MINI, and this grants it a greater road presence.
The French car also looks the business with its sleek lines and go-faster bits such as a Gloss Dark Metal F1-style aerodynamic front blade, a rear spoiler as well as a diffuser with integrated rectangular chrome twin exhaust tips.
Interior
The cabin of the MINI retains all the familiar trademark and funky design cues such as the big central dial, toggle switches and many more. It feels more like a luxury car than a typical city runabout.
Its leather seats are comfy, with plenty of shape and contour to hold the occupants in place, while quality materials and metal finishing lift the overall upscale feel.
The interior of the MINI 5 Door feels more spacious than what its exterior dimensions suggest. There is no shortage of headroom and shoulder room for a city car but legroom at the rear can still get a little tight for taller passengers.
Although there is designated seating for five, the rear quarters remain suitable for two. That said, the car's boot space has expanded by 67 litres over the regular MINI, giving its occupants more room for cargo.
The cabin of the MINI retains all the familiar trademark and funky design cues such as the big central dial, toggle switches and many more. It feels more like a luxury car than a typical city runabout.
Its leather seats are comfy, with plenty of shape and contour to hold the occupants in place, while quality materials and metal finishing lift the overall upscale feel.
The interior of the MINI 5 Door feels more spacious than what its exterior dimensions suggest. There is no shortage of headroom and shoulder room for a city car but legroom at the rear can still get a little tight for taller passengers.
Although there is designated seating for five, the rear quarters remain suitable for two. That said, the car's boot space has expanded by 67 litres over the regular MINI, giving its occupants more room for cargo.
Over on the other side, the French car's cockpit is a racier place to be, with well-bolstered sports seats, a neat and tidy dashboard design dominated by a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and splashes of colour throughout - we particularly liked the zingy red seatbelts and trim highlights of the car.
Unfortunately, with its hard plastics and door surfaces, the overall feeling of quality cannot be matched up to the MINI.
The plus side is the Renault's rear space and access. Affording the car with a set of rear doors means that it is entirely more practical than its predecessor's three-door layout, and despite its proportions, there is a decent amount of room in the car.
Three passengers will also fit more comfortably across the rear bench as opposed to the MINI's two. The Renault's boot is also considerably larger than the MINI's at 300 litres, so more barang barang is not a problem.
The Drive
Under the bonnet, the latest generation MINI has a 2.0-litre turbocharged lump paired to a slick six-speed automatic. The four-cylinder is sporty and spirited, building power quickly under load but its torque is really the show-stopper.
As a result, the car takes only 6.8 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h. In addition to the strong performance, there's also an addictive, deeply growly engine note that complements a great sounding exhaust.
MINI prides itself on its 'go-kart' handling and the car is responsive and engaging to drive with a sharp and well-weighted steering.
On the other hand, the Renault's engine is a smaller 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that seems to hesitate a little from standstill before it decides to burst on to the scene with a rousing amount of power.
Married to this engine is an Efficient Dual-Clutch gearbox that also has a minor lull in proceedings but its shifts improve at higher speeds. In spite of the various delays, the car still manages to hit the century mark in 6.7 seconds - 0.1 seconds faster than the MINI.
The Renault is also racier with its R.S. Drive multi-mode system that includes Normal, Sport and Race settings, with the latter disabling the electronic stability control entirely.
Launch Control - not advisable for use on public roads - comes as standard and is accompanied by a wicked little exhaust stutter and burble when the car is let off its leash.
Under the bonnet, the latest generation MINI has a 2.0-litre turbocharged lump paired to a slick six-speed automatic. The four-cylinder is sporty and spirited, building power quickly under load but its torque is really the show-stopper.
As a result, the car takes only 6.8 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h. In addition to the strong performance, there's also an addictive, deeply growly engine note that complements a great sounding exhaust.
MINI prides itself on its 'go-kart' handling and the car is responsive and engaging to drive with a sharp and well-weighted steering.
On the other hand, the Renault's engine is a smaller 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that seems to hesitate a little from standstill before it decides to burst on to the scene with a rousing amount of power.
Married to this engine is an Efficient Dual-Clutch gearbox that also has a minor lull in proceedings but its shifts improve at higher speeds. In spite of the various delays, the car still manages to hit the century mark in 6.7 seconds - 0.1 seconds faster than the MINI.
The Renault is also racier with its R.S. Drive multi-mode system that includes Normal, Sport and Race settings, with the latter disabling the electronic stability control entirely.
Launch Control - not advisable for use on public roads - comes as standard and is accompanied by a wicked little exhaust stutter and burble when the car is let off its leash.
Nonetheless, in general day-to-day driving, the Clio R.S.'s lighter steering could prove more liveable than the MINI, not to mention its ride, which, while far from perfect, deals with imperfections in a smoother manner than its competitor here.
Despite all that, and the fact that this is not the sporty-biased Clio R.S. Cup that has a quicker steering rack, 15 percent more stiffness and a 5mm lower ride height, the Clio R.S. Sport still hangs on well in corners.
Conclusion
While these hot hatches are bigger and badder than they've ever been, each of them approaches the game with a different strategy.
The MINI, despite its firmer ride, is the more mature and premium feeling car, yet also the one that has the most rewarding steering and handling like how a hot hatch should be driven.
On the contrary, the Clio R.S. offers a great blend of pace and practicality, and it comes with a more comfortable ride than its rival, which makes it a little easier to live with too. This is offset, however, by a slightly bemused transmission, a more aloof steering as well as handling that isn't quite as sharp as its rival.
Not considering the MINI's higher price ($181,300 as of 22nd May 2015), it's still a superb car to be had, and that's enough for us to give it the win here, by the smallest of margins. So if you're planning your first European hot hatch experience, it's hard to go past Great Britain's finest.
Photos by Low Fai Ming
Car Information
Renault Clio R.S. 1.6T Sport (A)
CAT B|Petrol|15.9km/L
Horsepower
149kW (200 bhp)
Torque
240 Nm
Acceleration
6.7sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Renault Clio R.S.MINI Cooper S 5-Door 2.0 (A)
CAT B|Petrol|18.2km/L
Horsepower
141kW (189 bhp)
Torque
280 Nm
Acceleration
6.8sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used MINI Cooper S 5-Door
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