Renault Clio (2005-) Review

On the road

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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?

It's a shame that modern diesel technology places an average £1000 premium on the price of Clios with oil-burning engines, for they are quite substantially superior to most petrol versions, and not just in traditional areas such as economy and emissions.

The entry-level 1.2-litre petrol engine is sweet enough, but it's unequal to the task of carrying the Clio at a respectable rate, a fact illustrated by its slow 13.4sec 0-60mph time. The 1.4-litre engine cuts this to 11.3sec and, as this figure suggests, provides a considerably livelier ride, but even the 1.6-litre Clio never feels that fleet-footed, and cannot duck into single figures for the 0-60mph sprint. The 1.2 TCE turbo, though, is a slightly different proposition: at 100bhp/107lb ft, it's got the power of the 1.4 and torque of the 1.6, and is so smooth that you'd never detect the turbo's intervention. The 2.0-litre 138 petrol is a pleasant addition to the 2007 range, too; it makes for a real mini luxury car, something Renault has always been good at. Anyone remember the Renault 5 Monaco and Bacarra?

The diesels do their best work at around 2000rpm and are blessed with huge torque; they give the impression not only of better real-world performance, but also enhanced refinement. Indeed, you never really need to extend either the 86 or 106bhp diesel engines beyond 3000rpm to make convincing cross country progress, a speed at which the 1.2 16v, 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines are still over 1000rpm below peak torque.

All Clios save the highest-powered diesel and the 2.0 138 use a five-speed gearbox. The new six-speeder in the 106bhp diesel is slick and swift but does not, on its own, constitute grounds to spend the extra £700 over the 86bhp diesel. Indeed, while the price issue will inevitably make the 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol engines the best-sellers, it is the mid-spec diesel that is the pick of the crop.