Clio Renault Sport is aimed at motorists looking for a comfortable, well-equipped, status-enhancing car which places the accent on driving pleasure. New Clio Renault Sport Luxe features the 'Sport' chassis which, like the car's acoustic performance, has been upgraded with a view to delivering an even higher standard of comfort.

A range of appointments make this new sporting model from the Renault Sport stable truly unique, including a broad selection of body colours, interior trims, upholsteries (including leather) and aluminium alloy wheels. A long list of equipment carried over from New Renault Clio is available, too, including the Carminat TomTom® navigation system, a hands-free card and cruise control with speed limiter.

The 'Sport' chassis: efficiency and comfort

The development of the Sport chassis was guided by a bid to strike the ideal balance between performance and comfort. The stub axles have been lengthened to increase the rear track, and New Clio Renault Sport marks an improvement in comfort over its predecessor thanks to the switch to double-effect damper technology.

The energy which needs to be dissipated is partly absorbed by an additional level of valving. The performance of these new dampers is particularly appreciable on longer journeys and motorway drives. Meanwhile, body movement is kept in check thanks to the bigger diameter of the front anti-roll bar which has been raised from 20mm to 21 mm. Compared with New Renault Clio, the stiffness of the rear suspension has been uprated by 25 per cent thanks to the fitment of a 30mm-diameter anti-roll bar.

Specifically-developed Continental Sport Contact 3 tyres (215/45 R17) ensure swifter, more precise steering response, while their rolling resistance is five per cent lower compared with Clio III Renault Sport's tyres. The aluminium alloy wheels are each 1kg lighter and the gain in terms of inertia further contributes to the enhanced steering response and crisp acceleration.