If you just purchased an Opel Corsa OPC, a Mazda 3 MPs or an Audi A3 – take it back to the dealership right now. I can only hope these vehicle manufacturers can forgive me for saying this but I firmly believe I have found the car that tops them.

In August, I attended the launch of the Clio Dynamique and Clio RS and enjoyed the experience. I was impressed by the RS but wasn't completely won over by the package.

Then a few weeks later a Clio RS was parked in my driveway and left with me for a week. It has been a life-changing experience – and I don't use that expression lightly.

Parlez vous ...

I'm not sure there are enough words in the French language to express the wonder that is the RS, but I'll have a go anyway: magnifique, inspiré, équilibré, passionné. And I beg forgiveness from all the French speakers out there if I have inadvertently mangled your beautiful language.

With a whole lot more time to spend with the RS, I have forgiven what I previously believed were its shortcomings. The stubby control stalks behind the wheel, which at first were absolutely annoying, took on a new meaning. Their bumps and twists are a form of driver's Braille and I soon found myself able to operate a vast majority of the functions in the car without my eyes having to leave the road.

The same goes for the controls and buttons on the fascia. Buttons with similar functions are neatly clustered and easy to identify. Repeatedly push a button to get more (fan speed, temperature, vent control, etc) and do the same to the accompanying button to get less. Simple but extremely effective.

No pain

No more strained knees for me either – once I had chance to play with the seat settings for more than the rushed 30 seconds I had on the launch, I discovered a very comfortable and stable position. So did every other passenger – whether in the front row or the back.

The RS's size gives very little away about the two-litre, 147,5Kw engine under the bonnet. It will cruise – reluctantly - at between 1500 and 2500rpm in heavy traffic, but with enough space and distance it just keeps on giving. There was never a feeling that I was squeezing as much power as I could from the engine. It was instead a simple relationship of asking for the grunt and having it delivered.

Page two ... Stop and go

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