Ride and handling
Ratings: 4.5/5
The Clio habitually ranks at the sharp end
of the class in this regard. But for the Fiesta, you’d probably call it the
finest example of the zesty, engaging European small hatch - the sort that the Japanese,
Koreans and now the Chinese have been seeking to reproduce for the past 30
years.
But the new one sets higher standards than
its immediate forebear right across the board, from compliance to high-speed
stability to ultimate grip and amusement value. As a driving machine, it’s the
most multi-talented and complete super mini to come out of France in a long
time - certainly since the Citroen DS3 in 2009, and probably for a lot longer.
Clio
has a smooth power delivery and an absorbent ride.
The way that the Clio segues from
remarkable rolling comfort at one moment to slick and engaging handling
accuracy the next marks it out as a work of real class. It’s a calmer customer
than the Fiesta. Slightly softer of spring and less tautly damped, its low-speed
ride is very quiet but also more absorptive than the Ford’s. This means that,
at higher speeds, there’s a little more body movement in the Clio. But when
that does materialize, and the road surface conspires to test the Renault’s
mettle, excellent damper tuning and first-rate bump isolation combine to
produce fluent body control and an unusually silken ride in one so small.
The steering wheel is quite large and feels
a little over-assisted at low speeds. But as you accelerate, so that power
assistance ramps down. Ultimately, it creates a well-paced, well weighted
system that, although not very informative, feels natural. Lean on the
suspension and it reacts in trustworthy proportion, keeping ultimate control of
the body and working the tires just hard enough to produce plenty of grip and
consistent steering response.
An effective balance of dynamic virtues is
what we look for in a good handling hatch, and the Clio’s balance of comfort
and sporting brio is every bit as striking as its chic new clothes.
Under the skin
The suspension and drivetrain aren’t exempt
from the weight reduction. The wheels, drive shafts and anti-roll bar (now
hollow) are lighter than before.
Renault makes no claims for the lightness
of its engines - perhaps no surprise given that, although the three-pot unit
has lost a cylinder over a conventional, naturally aspirated four, it has
gained a turbocharger.
Under
the skin
Slim pickings
Renault has shaved a decent amount of
weight from the Clio's skin while maintaining a roughly similar body size and
despite the fact that, ostensibly, it’s constructed in the same fashion. The
Clio remains a steel Monocoque with MacPherson strut front suspension and a
torsion beam at the rear, but gains have been made a few per cent, a few kilos,
at a time.
There is greater use of very high-strength
steels at the points of major stress, but elsewhere on the body-in-white,
weight has been shaved. The dashboard cross-member and floor are lighter, as
are the door stops. The fuel tank is smaller (at 45 versus 55 liters, although
the range remains similar) and some variants have a plastic tailgate, saving
3kg. Similarly, small gains have been made on the dashboard insulation and
exhaust.
Buying and owning
Ratings: 4/5
Neither the base spec (Expression, $15,895)
nor its better (Expression+, from $18,995) are where Renault expects to do the
most business - despite the fact that Bluetooth, air-con, cruise control and
16-inch wheels are all present and correct in Expression-i-trim. Buyers expect
a serious bit of ritz from their super minis now, and our test car, in $21,995
Dynamique MediaNav format, is likely prove the most popular option. That puts
it in good stead with the class-leading Fiesta, as a similarly well-equipped
Titanium model (with five doors and optional sat-nav) is a rather distant
$23,770.
However, the Ford’s headlining three-pot
petrol engine is head and shoulders above Renault’s and it qualifies for 99g/km
tax-free status even in its lustier 99bhp guise. This 0.9 TCe Clio does not.
Its 104g/km emissions ensure that the taxman continues to take a modest cut.
If you’d like to enjoy the expanded
features of Renault’s new internet-enriched R-Link system (including the
superior TomTom sat-nav), that costs an additional $675.
Depreciation
Depreciation
The Ford Fiesta rules the class, but
Renault should certainly celebrate besting its Volkswagen opposition.
