Renault Clio GT 120 EDC will come to Australia

The new French pocket rocket is accelerating into the gap between Renault's cooking cars and its runaway Renault Sport heroes.

The Clio GT is already confirmed for Australia and is set for a similar job to the Commodore SS, which covers the space between regular Holdens including the SV6 and the true hotrods from Holden Special Vehicles.

The Renault is officially the Clio GT 120 EDC, a name that reflects 120 horsepower - or 88 kiloWatts - from a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and its electronic dual-clutch transmission. Renault claims the car will set a new standard for affordable hot hatches, although it has yet to even hint about prices down under.

Still, the car is coming as part of the rollout of the four-generation Clio and for the first time there will be a Renault Sport model in the baby boomer with five doors. "This GT is a first for us," the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide.

"It bridges the gap between our Clio Renault Sport and the rest of the range. Anything that brings the RS performance closer to the rest of the range is good.

"Renault Sport cars are not for everyone. They are quite extreme cars. This will be more accessible. "With extra doors and transmission types it opens the door for many more people than the Renault Sport cars."

The Clio GT is also coming as a wagon in Europe, but that version might not make it to Australia after a call for right-hand driver in the hauler was unsuccessful in France.

"We're unlikely to see a right-hand drive version of the wagon. We have expressed interest but, sadly, the biggest right-hand drive market (Britain) didn't place much value on the vehicle," says Hocevar.

Renault Sport's projects and product program director, Christophe Besseau, describes the Clio GT as a "warm" hatch. It picks up obvious RS cues including the grille, bumpers, 17-inch alloys and twin chromed exhaust tips. The car can also be ordered with special Malta Blue bodywork.

The cabin, with grey trim and chromed highlights, has sports seats and steering wheel, gearshift paddles and special treatment for the dials. Standard equipment runs from touch-screen navigation with Renault's latest R-Link infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity, a reversing camera and automatic aircon.

Mechanically, the engine is a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol package with direct injection and the dual-clutch six-speed transmission has multiple driving modes. The chassis has GT suspension settings, not as extreme as a Clio RS.

On the economy front, Renault says the car runs at 5.2 litres/100 kilometres with CO2 emissions of 120 grams/kilometre. Hocevar is not setting a launch date or price yet but is hoping for an early arrival following Renault Australia's success with its RS models.

"Last year we jumped from second to fifth in global Renault Sport sales, behind France but ahead of Germany, the UK and Japan. We've expressed good volume ambitions for other Renault Sport vehicles."

And Hocevar says the Clio GT could be a pointer to a similar car in the Megane lineup. "I think a GT version in the Megane range, one day, would be quite good," he tells Carsguide.

This reporter is one Twitter @paulwardgover