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Renault Clio Gallery
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| RELIABILITY AND QUALITY RATING: |
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No one will doubt that the Clio III has taken one big step towards improved quality, but that's just as well, as the shabby standards of the old car were looking increasingly unacceptable in the 21st century. Nothing looked as if it would fall off any of the cars at the launch, and all major moving parts from the doors to the rear hatch thudded home in a way no current Clio owner would recognise. In addition, the paintwork seemed deep, even and thoroughly in keeping with Renault's quality aspirations.
Inside, things are a little less good. There were no rattles, but some of the interior fittings seemed a little flimsy, whilst the quality of the dark plastics on the dash and elsewhere in the cockpit is directly proportional to how close to your field of vision and touch they are.
These days, we don't doubt the basic mechanical reliability of any Renault, but we'd still be surprised if the Clio III provides the absolutely trouble-free running you might expect from, say, a Honda Jazz. That said, such things can be judged only over the lifetime of the car and not at a two-day launch event, so it's only fair to give Renault the benefit of the doubt for now.
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