Interior
Ratings: 4/5
There are generous levels of space. Our
tape measure suggests that, although its tall boot is only averagely wide and
long, its cabin is a particularly good size. It offers 10 per cent, or a couple
of inches, more legroom than in the average small hatch and an inch or so of
‘extra value’ headroom for back seat travelers. For relatively large adult
passengers, in the context of this class, that could make an important
difference. There’s the usual amount of cabin storage.
As well as space, Renault has successfully
injected color and life into the cabin. Our test car came with the most
conservative choice you can have on material specification - a black fascia and
black cloth seats but its attractive sculptural instruments, complemented by
lots of gloss black and chrome accenting, lent it an air of technical style and
sophistication. Consumer electronics are an obvious inspiration here, just as
they were for the Ford Fiesta five years ago. The difference is that, whereas
the Ford’s cabin could have been penned by graduates from Nokia and Motorola,
the Renault’s is one of the converged touchscreen design generation, with
clearer nods to the likes of Apple, Samsung and HTC.
Material quality is fine but doesn’t match
that level of ambition. Most of the background cabin plastics are ordinary in
their look and feel. On our test car, one or two loose, creaky trims even
served to remind us of Renault’s chequered record on fit and finish.
There’s also a certain lack of attention to
ergonomic detail. The engine starter button is on the wrong side of the center
stack for right-hand drive, for example, and die cruise control button is in an
unintuitive position, by die handbrake.
Renault
Clio’s interior
You can have racing stripes or bright
colors on this steering wheel insert if you like. Black gloss suits the cabin’s
general theme. Not sure it'll wear well, though.
Black
gloss suits the cabin’s general theme.
Cubby storage isn't great. This shelf is
wide but not very deep, and the glove box underneath is smaller than that of
left-hand-drive Clios.
Cubby
storage isn't great.
The combination of an analogue revcounter
with a digital speedo is increasingly common. It won’t suit everyone, but both
instruments are easy to read. Nice to see the indicator lights given some
prominence, too.
Nice
to see the indicator lights given some prominence, too
Black dashboard trim can be swapped for
red, blue or brown in Dynamique trim and above. Gloss black accent trims also
come in ivory, red or blue.
Gloss
black accent trims also come in ivory, red or blue.
There’s a couple of extra inches of
kneeroom and an inch more headroom than is the class norm here; that could make
all the difference for tall passengers.
That
could make all the difference for tall passengers.
Although it’s tall, the Clio’s luggage
compartment isn’t particularly wide or long by the standards of the class. Its
300-liter capacity is competitive, though.
Its
300-liter capacity is competitive, though.
Communications
The MediaNav multimedia system comes with
standard Bluetooth telephony. Pairing an iPhone takes just a few seconds, and
connections are re-established without a prompt. Touchscreen phone
functionality is good, using the seven-inch screen. Without MediaNav, Bluetooth
functionality comes via the radio. Audio quality during calls is good.
Navigation
Navigation
Renault's Nav N Go, which uses Navteq maps,
is more like an aftermarket solution than a factory-fitted system. Map detail
isn't brilliant and display functionality is limited. You can’t zoom the map
manually, for instance. There might be a better system in the offing, though,
delivered with TomTom via Renault's R-Link multimedia system.
Entertainment
All Clios get ‘bass reflex’ door speakers
as standard; they make for better low-frequency sound reproduction and do seem
to produce a powerful sound. Our test car’s MediaNav system had USB, aux-in and
Bluetooth streaming.
Performance
Ratings: 4/5
The conceit is that you’re getting
1.4-liter-level performance with greatly reduced fuel consumption here but our
test results suggest that claim is a bit misleading. The last 1.4-liter super-mini
we tested - the current Kia Rio had 107bhp and was a good couple of seconds
quicker than this turbo three-pot Clio, both from a standstill to 60mph and
through the gears from 30-70mph. The Rio also got within a whisker of an
indicated 50mpg on our touring economy test, whereas the Clio managed
only46.6mpg.
The Kia had a six-speed manual gearbox to
help it along to those kind of figures. Even so, away from die NEDC test lab
and out in the real world, Renault’s 898cc engine would seem to be no landmark.
But it’s good. Quiet, refined, linear and
responsive, its light-pressure delivery suits the Renault’s urban sophisticate
character perfectly. The engine only really feels turbocharged at very low
revs, where it can hesitate slightly before knuckling down. Otherwise it pulls
very cleanly, with stoutness through the mid-range, staying power at high revs
and particular smoothness throughout. Ford’s Ecoboost triple maybe more
powerful, but it can’t match this Clio’s lack of noise and vibration not
mounted in a Fiesta, at any rate.
In typical use, the Clio feels quite
sprightly, and although it would help with cruising economy and outright
performance a little, you rarely miss that sixth gear. Shift quality is light
but well defined and brake pedal feel is good. All in all, the Clio is an
entirely pleasant device, peppy at times and quite suave at others, with the
flexibility and polish to take mixed daily motoring duties in its stride,
including motorway miles, cross country roads and the urban sprawl.
Track notes
Dry circuit
·
Renault Clio 0.9 TCE Dynamique MediaNav: 1min
31.8sec
·
Ford Fiesta 1.4 (2008): 1min 31.3sec
·
Given the performance deficit, the Clio has done
well to get so close to the Ford’s time. It has composure and agility in
relative abundance and a good balance of grip.
·
Pedal feel gives confidence to leave braking
late, and not so straight, into T4; ESP acts if your tail slide is pronounced.
·
Apex speed through the hairpin is quite low, but
widened tracks keep body movements in check.
Dry
circuit
Wet circuit
·
Renault Clio 0.9 TCE Dynamique MediaNav: 1min
17.8sec
·
Ford Fiesta 1.4 (2008): 1min 14.2sec
·
Plenty of grip and reassuring security here, and
it develops into quite a lot of fun - but not too much before the always-on ESP
gets involved.
·
Measured steering and skinny tires make under steer
rare and it is easy to keep the nose glued to every apex.
·
An even power delivery ensures that there is
plenty of available traction, even out of the slowest part of the circuit.
Wet
circuit
Acceleration 7deg C, dry
·
Renault Clio 0.9 TCE Dynamique MediaNav:
Standing quarter mile 19.7sec at 72.5mph, standing km 36.2sec at 88.7mph,
30-70mph 13.9sec, 30-70mph in 4th 20.9sec
·
Ford Fiesta 1.4 (2008): Standing quarter mile
18.8sec at 75.5mph, standing km 34.4sec at 93.9mph, 30-70mph 11.9sec, 30-70mph
in 4th 23.6sec
Renault
Clio 0.9 TCE Dynamique MediaNav
Ford
Fiesta 1.4 (2008)
Braking: 60-0mph: 2.79sec
Braking
On the limit
It’s mark of dynamic class that the Clio
remains slick and controllable even when its tires are beginning to run out of
purchase. The car’s balance and agility don’t deteriorate as you approach the
limit of grip. It continues to turn in pertly and hangs on laterally with equal
determination at the front and rear, at cornering speeds high enough to wake
the standard ESP.
On
the limit
The stability control system feels quite
advanced and intervenes with subtlety at first, but it’s always on and won’t
permit extremes of slip angle. Neither should it. But at times, it does feel
like a wet blanket thrown over an otherwise quite playful chassis. The car is
surprisingly capable and fun on the circuit but only up to a point.
The brakes take punishment very well for a
discs/drums set-up and are capable of stopping the Clio from 70mph very smartly
indeed, come rain or shine. All things considered, it’s a car well prepared for
an emergency stop or a high-speed evasive manoeuver and at this end of the
market, that’s what matters.
