LoginOne Of Renault’s Hottest Badges May Be Coming Back Sooner Than You Think
- Renault admits it could build a hybrid-powered RS model again.
- The new Clio is seen as a prime candidate for RS revival.
- RS brand was officially axed in favor of Alpine performance.
Renault may have wound down its RenaultSport division a little too soon. The decision to pull the plug on sporty models like the Megane RS and Clio RS wasn’t exactly met with cheers, and now there’s a hint it might not be permanent.
According to Renault’s global sales and operations director, Bruno Vanel, if there’s enough public appetite for a return, the RS badge could make a comeback.
Read: The World’s Favorite Renault Got Longer, Wider And Weirder
While recently speaking with Auto Express, Vanel confirmed that Renault has the technical resources on hand to resurrect a performance model, most likely in the shape of a new Clio RS. The brand’s existing portfolio of electric and high-power hybrid powertrains, he explained, includes hardware well-suited to a modern hot hatch.
Even though we’re sure many Renault enthusiasts would also love to see the Megane RS stage a comeback, that seems far more unlikely now that the Megane has morphed into an all-electric crossover.
In contrast, the new-generation Clio, unveiled just a few months ago, offers a more fitting foundation. The sixth-gen model arrived with a more aggressive design and enough visual punch to imagine it in RS trim. And crucially, it remains a hatchback.
“The good news is that we have the know-how internally to make such a car [a Clio RS],” Vanel told the magazine. “We also have hybrid powertrains; solutions to get high power with low CO2 emissions. This is really important now that we are more and more challenged on CO2.”
Vanel added that while there is no immediate plan to bring back the RenaultSport brand “for now,” he said that with enough interest, “maybe [Renault] can reconsider. We’ll wait a couple of months, and then we’ll think about it,” he added.
If Renault were to greenlight an RS version of the new Clio, it would most likely build on the current car’s hybrid system. In its range-topping E-Tech form, the Clio combines a 1.8-liter engine with an electric motor to produce 158 hp.
With some tuning, if that figure was lifted closer to 220 hp, it would position the Clio RS firmly into small hot hatch territory, largely matching the previous-generation on performance.
