Upcoming Renault Clio RS might get Megane RS turbocharged 4-cylinder 1.8-liter engine

During the 2016 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, Renault surprised us with an unusual turbocharged 2.0 liter engine of the previous generation Megane RS inside the Clio R.S. 16 concept. After debuting the said model, Patrice Ratti, Renault Sports Cars General Manager, said that Renault had actually been considering a small batch of road going models, and that he is just waiting for the approval of the executives.

The sad part is that his plan never pushed through, and it seems like it won’t happen again this generation because it is a bit too late considering that the new Clio will debut this fall.

What we can look forward to though is the Clio RS’s next iteration with a Megane RS engine that Renault is currently working on. According to automotive blog Caradisiac, they have been hearing rumours that the new flagship version of the supermini will borrow the automaker’s new turbocharged four cylinder 1.8 liter engine. Not only is this engine in the Megane RS, as it is also in the Alpine A110.

In the regular Megane, it can deliver as much as 280 horsepower, and in the Trophy, it can apparently produce as much as 300 horsepower that we’re set to see by the end of the year. As for the Alpine, it is said to be able to produce 250 horsepower, but there will be a beefier version with 300 horsepower for the Sport model. This variant will also be much lighter.

For the Clio RS to avoid stepping on higher positioned models, Renault will modify the engine so that its output will play at around 225 horsepower. It was Philippe Brunet, the General Manager in charge of Powertrain Software and Calibration, who gave away this information during his interview with L’Automobile Magazine.

If the Clio RS inherits the same engine as its bigger brother, we can expect a more powerful version further down the line considering that the 1.8 liter has much more potential. In other words, we can expect a Trophy version with a little more power.

At the same time, we can expect to see the fifth generation Clio sometime in October this year, at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. Speaking of the fifth generation 2019 Clio, spy shots of the said model have actually been leaked earlier this month, though it still wore its camouflage as well as fake body panels.

Overall, we knew that it was the Clio because of its familiar shape, even as headlights continue to appear to sit a little lower. The profile, on the other hand, still looks pretty much the same, but new tail lights and a redesigned rear fascia have been added as can be seen even under the thick coverings.