New Renault Clio - More Va Va Room

Va Va Voom styling, an impressive safety rating and more interior space were significant plus points in the judging process I understand.

Many motor industry pundits, including myself, had expected the new BMW 3-Series to receive the annual accolade but in the European awards business there are as many politics and connecting country alliances at play as in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Still we Brits love the Clio as well and it has driven off with the Best Supermini award in the coveted 2006 What Car? accolades as well as well as a number of other awards from a variety of publications. The UK is a good hunting ground for the Clio as it is regularly placed in the top ten sales chart and finished 2005 in ninth position overall, a very good performance in a very competitive sector.

This supermini sector is changing as well. Cars are getting bigger and more substantial as designers come up with new engineering solutions to meet the challenging Euro NCAP safety requirements. The new Clio has been awarded the maximum five-star rating, the eighth Renault to achieve this high standard.

In the supermini segment the Clio has really set the trend for other manufacturers to follow as far as interior space is concerned. The new Fiat Grande Punto, currently Europe’s best selling car, is another supermini newcomer to offer more passenger room and the new Peugeot 207, soon to go on sale, does the same.

So thankfully after last year’s huge influx of small city cars, 2006 is shaping up to be the year of the larger supermini. Thank goodness for that because a bigger size brings a better ride, more comfort and a more substantial product.

The new Clio, or Clio III as Renault term it, demonstrates the advantages of being realistic about the size a small family car should be. The additional bodyshell weight does dull the performance of the smaller petrol engines but the car feels strong and it is safe. Best of all it is spacious. The Clio was initially introduced in three-door hatchback form and recently five door models have been added to the line up. Generally in this sector the three-door versions are more popular because they are considered to look more sporty so appealing to young singles or married couples and mums with small children. However in practical terms I think five-door models offer the best value and make more sense. You have roomy rear seating area so have rear side doors. Why make getting in and out of the vehicle difficult for passengers? You also get more load space for very little extra money.

The range starts at £8,895 for the cheapest three-door model and rises through many derivatives to £15,050 for the most expensive five-door1.6-litre petrol or 1.5-litre dCi diesel versions. There are 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engine choices and a 1.5-litre diesel unit available in three levels of power output. As is the current trend there are plenty of specification levels, four for the three-door range and five for the five-door models. In addition there are a whole host of other extras ranging from style packs to cool packs, to satellite navigation and parking sensors. All these add up in cost of course and add very little to the resale value when you come to part with your car so buy carefully.

My test car was the Clio 1.4 16V 98 3-Door petrol version with the middle of the range Dynamique trim and equipment level which includes air conditioning. It also offers a good level of chic and sporty specification for a reasonable price of £10,750. However the car was also fitted with loads of extras, including a navigation system and so on, so it suddenly turned into a £13,000 car. Your choice I guess.

Now let’s get the essentials out of the way first. The new Clio is safe, solid and roomy and it looks good as well, especially from the side. The side profile has a continuous styling line which sweeps up from the aerodynamic headlights, along the rising front wing edges, up the A pillar over the roof and declines down to the tailgate giving it a coupe look. The Clio has a low waistline which is unusual these days where safety requirements general dictate high door sides. Clever design and engineering have overcome the slab-sided look seen all too often these days. Full marks Renault for styling.

The interior is solid, well put together with nice textures to the trim and at the risk of repeating myself there is plenty of room but I would still opt for a 5-Door version. The car is very comfortable with good-sized seats unlike previous generation superminis. It is also very quiet. The driving position is much improved over the previous Clio. The low waistline allows good visibility and it results in a light an airy interior. Every Clio has at least six airbags and anti-lock braking. The comfort of ride is good as well, better than the new Grande Punto. Much of that is to do with the weight of the car due to the safety-first structure. The Clio sits on the road well providing a roll-free stable ride and the suspension mops up the bumps and potholes with ease.

Handling is sharp and responsive and only the acceleration is a disappointment. The 98bhp petrol engine with the five-speed transmission is surprisingly flexible and it allows high gears to be used at low speeds. In reality it takes a while to reach a respectable cruising speed, although the official performance figures of 114mph and 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds seem better than real life. Hills really catch this Clio 1.4 out and you need to use the top end of the rev range to keep the car rolling at a respectable speed. Once in ‘the cruise’, its fine. The weight of the all new body structure has dulled the performance but then again occupant safety is important. That weight didn’t really detract from the fuel economy though. My test car returned 39.5mpg overall, just a bit less than the official quoted figure of 42mpg. I could live with that but a high mileage user might go for the diesel versions where 60mpg is likely to be achieved.

Yes the Clio III is a very good car and it needs to be because it sells in a tough and price sensitive sector of the new car market where discounting of retail prices is rife. The quality, design, safety and roominess are its major plus points. Car of the Year 2006? Not overall the best new car launched in the last 12 months but it’s the best supermini so far.

MILESTONES