Renault Clio - Sharp, Dynamic Looks Promise Much (Part 1)

Sharp, dynamic looks promise much, but can the new Clio deliver?

Ever since the late 1940s, Renault’s range has featured an unbroken line of interesting small cars of which the Clio has been one of the most successful. More than 12 million examples have found homes, and along the way the Clio has gained and enjoyed a youthful, vibrant image.

Earlier variants of the Clio deserved that reputation, too. They were agile, neatly designed, compact, engineered for some dynamism and intelligently marketed. However and Renault wasn’t alone in this during the mid-2000s, when the third-generation Clio arrived, some of that purity was lost. The Clio became bigger and heavier and went searching with honorable intent for more refinement and class, growing up with its customers.

Renault Clio

With die extra refinement that it found, though, it lost something, as have several of its peers during the past decade. Out went a bit of what Renault used to dub ‘va-va-voom’.

Which brings us to the new model, the Clio 4 which is notably leaner and cleaner than its predecessor. Question is whether that has reintroduced some of the joie de vivre. Let’s see.

History

The original Renault Clio was on sale from 1990 to 1998.

Thanks to models like the 4CV, 4 and 5, Renault has a rich history of small cars. But the first car to wear the Clio name was the Papa-and-Nicole-approved Clio 1, on sale between 1990 and 1998. It was replaced by the Clio 2, which remained the Clio’s main event until 2005, when the bigger, more luxurious Clio 3 made its debut. It was so much larger and plusher that the Clio 2 remained on sale in the UK (as the Campus) and today forms the platform basis for the Dacias just launched in the UK. And now the Clio 4 has arrived.

Design and engineering

Ratings: 4/5

First impression? The new Clio is bold and no mistake. And even though it is sculpted to appear much more lithe than its immediate ancestor (check out that cut and sculpting on the underside of the doors, like a Ferrari 458 Italia), it still looks like a Clio to us. Even, we suspect, were it not wearing a Renault diamond the size of a dinner plate on its nose.

There are differences in proportion, of course. Renault has made quite a big play of the fact that the wheelbase is longer than on the Clio 3 (up by 14mm to 2589mm), but although this is likely to have an effect on handling, it doesn’t help place each wheel closer to each comer, because overall length is up by 30mm.

With that, too, has come an increase in track widths (by about 35mm, dependent on the variant), a more steeply raked windscreen and a much lower height. At 1448mm, the Clio 4’s roof sits some 45mm closer to the ground than the Clio 3’s.

All of which leaves it looking more dynamic (even though it’s a five-door only). Renault also reckons that, model for model, the new car is some 100kg lighter than the old one (see ‘Under the Skin’).

The Clio 3 di d carry easy pounds to lose but, even so, at this level a 100kg loss is not an amount to be sniffed at - if it’s to be believed. Our test car tipped MIRA’s scales at 1170kg, which isn’t as light as we’d hoped.

Our test car came equipped with plenty of optional equipment, though, and what is currently the range’s mid-point engine: a turbocharged three-pot petrol that, Renault says, has the performance of a naturally aspirated 1.4 (89bhp at 5250rpm and 100lb-ft from 2500rpm). There’s also a 119bhp 1.2 TCe in the pipeline, driving through a dual-clutch automatic transmission, and an 89bhp 1.5 dCi diesel, with more variants to follow. All claim admirable fuel efficiency.

Two-tone 16-inch alloy wheels come as standard on the Dynamique MediaNav trim and are a no-cost option if you opt for the slightly pricier ECO version.

Two-tone 16-inch alloy wheels come as standard on the Dynamique MediaNav trim.

The bug-eyed headlight units are a striking characteristic of the new design DN A and include chrome detailing for a stand-out effect.

The bug-eyed headlight units are a striking characteristic of the new design DN A

The industry’s enthusiasm for finding novel ways to meet daytime running light legislation continues unabated; the Clio’s always-on LED strips migrate to the grille.

The Clio’s always-on LED strips migrate to the grille.

The prominent, upright logo, borrowed from the DeZir concept car, is an integral part of the new Clio styling push.

The prominent, upright logo

The boot lid chrome inserts are one of the benefits of Dynamique MediaNav trim, but the rear parking sensors come courtesy of a $375 Convenience Pack.

The boot lid chrome inserts are one of the benefits of Dynamique MediaNav trim

For a model that favors stuck-on tinsel, it seems novel that the rear arches’ tiny aerodynamic foils are not. Instead, they are an integral part of the rear bumper panel.

They are an integral part of the rear bumper panel.

Concealing the rear door handles is hardly a new trick, but with no three-door available, the clean, high-­shouldered profile is preserved by disguising the levers like this.

The clean, high-­shouldered profile is preserved by disguising the levers like this.

This gloss door feature appears on our test car’s trim level as standard, but as part of Renault’s personalization push, it is also included in an optional exterior decor pack.

This gloss door feature appears on our test car’s trim level as standard

How big is it?

How big is it?

Visibility test

Front: A virtually identical obstruction at both A-pillars-and not a small one, either.

Headlights: Halogen with LED running lights. More than up to the job.

Visibility test

Wheel and pedal alignment

No problems. Right-sided offset of brake and accelerator is a little pronounced for a super mini but will rarely be noticed. The two-pedal Clio RS will have a different layout again.

Wheel and pedal alignment