 |
|
Renault Clio Gallery
|
|
| DRIVING RATING: |
 |
Renault would like you to see the new Clio as a car full of French exuberance. But it's not: in fact, somewhat damningly, it's rather dull to drive. You can see why: for a start, it's a conspicuously heavy car, the lightest version tipping the scales at 1080kg, the heaviest at a frankly frightening 1200kg - not much less than the typical weight of a Mondeo-class saloon ten years ago. Then there is the safety issue: it groans under the weight of all its occupant protection systems, and, more pertinently, it has been set up to handle in such a way that even the gauchest of inexperienced teenagers is going to struggle to get it into trouble.
Around town, the Clio feels at home, thanks to light but direct steering and an acceptable 10.3metre turning circle. But when you want to push on, that steering seems almost entirely artificial and near-enough devoid of feedback, while the chassis has a rather inert feel: it's absolutely unflappable, even under unrealistically violent provocation. This means Renault's targets have been more than met, but we'd just like to see a little more than relentless competence in the way this car tackles the open road, and feel that it would not be too difficult to create a slightly more interactive driving experience without compromising its laudable safety standards.
In fact, we think that, in one area at least, the pursuit of safety may have gone too far: approach a staggered junction and you'll need just one look over your shoulder to realise how much the B and C pillars obscure your view of the road. Their thickness is a direct result of the massive strength of the bodyshell, but we have to question whether it has been wise to compromise the car's active safety in favour of passive safety. Surely it is better not to have the accident in the first place?
|
