Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Clio benefits from a significant upgrade


Steve Rogers drives the new Renault Clio

Renault and a few others will be rubbing their hands in glee now that Ford has axed the Fiesta.

The supermini supreme has been a thorn in the side of its rivals for decades but now is the time for others to step forward and shine, and Renault is well placed having just updated Clio.

Clever advertising in the nineties put Clio in the limelight - remember the Pappa and Nicole ads - and it went on to become a firm favourite with the Brits racking up more than 1.1 million sales as well as holding the crown as France’s best selling car. So has Renault done enough to challenge for that top spot?

This upgrade is significant, not so much for the refreshed front and back, but for what has been done inside. Renault promised a quality boost and it has been true to its word raising the bar and at the same time doing its best for the environment.

You will not find a scrap of leather, instead surfaces are covered in grained coated fabric made of recycled polyethylene fibres. A bit of a mouthful but the end result is that it looks good.

The range is simple: three models, Evolution £18,095, Techno £19,195 and Esprit Alpine £20,595 at the top with a hybrid engine.

In days of old, entry level models were pretty lean on kit but times have changed and it certainly isn’t the case with the Evolution which is reviewed here. Standard spec is generous and includes automatic LED lights and rain sensing wipers, all round electric windows, smartphone links, auto air conditioning, navigation, rear parking sensors and keyless entry, very useful when hands are full of shopping.

The cabin looks to have been stripped out and started again with new everything. As well as coverings for the seats and trim the dashboard has a fresh design with a digital driver’s display and seven inch touchscreen. This looks after the multimedia stuff and navigation but thankfully not the heating which is controlled by three chunky knobs and couldn’t be easier.

As a small family car there is a decent amount of room. Rear legroom does not match the Honda Jazz, which beats everyone, but is more than adequate. Boot space is among the best in the class but throws up a small problem. The drop from the boot lip is a foot (30cm if you prefer) which makes life difficult when lifting heavy objects.

This could be cheaply resolved with a two level floor, just like the Kadjar SUV. How often do people use all the boot space anyway?

Driving Clio is a joy, it's comfortable, the steering is light, it barely leans through bends, and grip is excellent. Performance from the 3-cylinder engine is typical, it runs out of steam higher up the rev range but has good low and mid range pick up so no worries when overtaking.

The best economy will come from the hybrid Esprit Alpine but that is an extra £2,500 so if you can make do with around 50mpg I would be inclined to stick with Evolution or Techno models.

My only issue, and it is with Renault rather than Clio, is safety. The package for Evolution is good with emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and lane departure assist but misses out on blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert which comes in higher up the chain. The full safety package should be standard, just like Honda and Volvo.

I have a soft spot for Renault stretching back 60 years to my parents rear-engined R8. The family total stands at 25, my contribution is 10 and would probably have been more had I not had company cars for 30 odd years, only one of which was a Renault which I bought when the contract was up.

So Clio is neck and neck with the MG3 as my best small car of the year. Got a bit of thinking to do!

Fast facts

Clio Evolution TCe 90

£18,095

999cc petrol 3-cylinder, 90bhp

6sp manual

0-62mph 12.2secs; 112mph

54.3mpg combined

118g/km. 1st tax £210

Insurance group 10

Boot: 391-1069 litres

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