Renault Clio New Car Review - Car Reviews

Renault Clio

VERDICT:

The third generation of Renault's Clio hatch is more solid and refined. And it's gone supermini-maxi

Performance

Choose your petrol-engined Renault Clio III with either a 74bhp 1.2-litre, a 1.2-litre TCE (Turbo Control Efficiency) with 100bhp or a 1.6-litre engine with 109bhp. Alternatively, there are three sizes of the 1.5-litre diesel with 68, 86 or 105bhp. The new 1.2 TCE is an amazing little engine. It returns 4mpg more than the 1.4-litre it replaces, while losing only 4lb ft of torque with its 107lb ft which peaks lower in the rev range - right where you need it. Responsive witht he pwoer delivered smoothly with no lag, it an also be a little harsh at speed. The 1.5-litre diesel with 105bhp suffers from a bit of lag at low revs but then it percolates away nicely from 2,000 to beyond 4,500rpm. Thank a variable-vane turbo for that wide spread. If you wind up the stereo the diesel's drone won't be any great bother but you certainly wouldn't rip it to your MP3 for listening at leisure. It's hooked up to a new six-speed gearbox that shifts sweetly.

Driving

It likes a corner or two. There's heaps of grip for a tiddler, and not much roll. It encourages you to take liberties, because it doesn't misbehave if you have to wipe away some mid-bend speed. So you carry all you can into the bend, conscious that if you lose it then it'll be a while before you get it back. Except for a mild shudder over small corrugated bumps, any road imperfections mid-bend are no hassle either.

Space

The old Clio was never one of the roomiest in its class but the new model has readdressed that. Four adults can easily fit inside while getting into the rear is excellent even in three-door models. The boot capacity has grown, too, from 255 to 288 litres, although there is a high lip to lift bags over.

Build quality

The cabin quality is top-notch for a little (or not) car, appealing to your eyes and fingertips with good fits, well-arranged controls, smart trims and the like. The air controls and stubby column stalks are taken off the Mégane. On mid versions and above, you get soft mouldings for the dashboard, too.

Equipment

Remote central locking and alloys are standard. The Expression trim adds aircon and a 60/40 folding rear seat.

Safety

Scored five stars in EuroNCAP's crash tests. ISOFIX child-seat mountings are standard as are three-point rear seatbelts. ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and Brake Assist are found on every car while ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) is optional. Six airbags are standard throughout range.

Owning

The Clio III's insurance is cheap - group five is the maximum - but although the fuel economy figures are good, some are slightly worse than before.

Value

The Clio III is slightly more expensive than the old model but cheaper than many of its supermini rivals.

Verdict

Bigger and more refined than its predecessor, the Clio III offers much more interior space and excellent, mature handling. It has, however, lost some of the previous model's va-va-voom and is starting to conform with its peers a little too much.

Fancy something hotter?

Clio 197