The 225 walks a finely judged path between premium-quality product and hardcore hot hatch. It isn’t as visually aggressive as a Focus RS, but there’s no denying the impact made by that gaping mouth, the jutting fog lights and the chunky 18in alloy wheels. The 2.0-litre turbocharged, four-cylinder engine is a development of the light-pressure unit first seen in the Vel Satis. Considerable work has been carried out to boost its power safely, with changes to the crankshaft and pistons as well as the twin-scroll turbocharger. There are also bigger fuel injectors and a bespoke ECU. The result is 222bhp at 5500rpm (the 225 in the car’s name is PS, not bhp) and a sturdy 221lb ft at only 3000rpm – 90 per cent of which is available from 2000-6000rpm. Drive is fed to the front wheels through a six-speed gearbox of Nissan origin. Unlike in the Focus RS, there is no ‘trick’ front differential.
On paper, the 225’s torsion beam rear axle would seem to put it at a disadvantage compared with the independent rear suspension used by the Focus RS, but Renault has tried hard to even things out, with a stiffer beam and tweaked springs, dampers and suspension bushes.
Up front, the hub carrier is separated from its usual base attachment to the damper unit, the idea being to reduce the interference from forces acting on the front wheels. Springs are stiffer, there’s a beefier anti-roll bar, and the subframe has an added crossmember.