Renault's Clio RS hyper-compact has had a midlife face lift. We check out the mid-range Cup version to see if a fiddling of pricing and spec can bring some added glow to the heroic hot hatch's halo.

Renault has updated its three-model 2018 Renault Clio RS line-up, the fashionable Frenchy gaining cosmetic, packaging and engine updates. The entry-level Renault Clio Sport and mid-spec (as tested) Cup retain a carry over 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine delivering 147kW, but gains an extra 20Nm (to 260Nm), while the quietly menacing Trophy ups power and torque...

I'm going to reveal something of myself here - I used to be a RenaultSport Clio owner. This is what the purists call what we now know as Clio RS, and I find myself constantly corrected yet unrepentant. It was a 172 - a nuggety three-door with wheels that looked too small, a weird seating position and a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that was big on tor...

It's been five years since Renault turned its back on its own naturally aspirated, manual gearbox Clio RS providence and lobbed with a comparatively weapons-grade third generation hell-bent on reformulating compact grocery-getters with lofty performance capabilities. Whereas hot hatches French and otherwise were once all-chassis, low-powered propositions tha...

THE HOT hatch formula has always been a simple one. Take a diminutive chassis, plonk a relatively large engine under the bonnet, and let the good times roll. In recent years hot hatches have been in a renaissance, growing into brawlers with flared haunches and fire-spitting attitudes. Power has skyrocketed, with some next-gen models rumoured to be 350kW+ all...