April 5, 2013

Review: 2013 Renault Clio Dynamique MediaNav TCe 90

The Renault Clio is the bread and butter of the French companies model range and with the industry going through tough times in Europe, this cars sales are more important than ever. This is the all-new Renault Clio 4, a chic new interpretation of a car that has sold in vast numbers in previous generations. The 2013 incarnation sports a bold new design that shouts from the rooftops “Va Va Voom is back!” It is bold and aims to reinvent the brand.  The car it replaces was conservative in design, but Renault are keen to promote a premium product in the 4th generation Clio and so blending into the class was not on the agenda.

Visually it looks every bit as modern as it claims to be, bringing a little bit of French  design to the roads. There is no longer a three door body style for the Clio but by hiding the rear door handles Renault have managed to give the hatchback an almost coupe appearance. It sits lower to the road and is wider than its predecessor making for an object that does turn heads when out and about. The gloss black skirting is also a nice unique design feature for a car in this class. Renault have put a big emphasis on making this new Clio “your own” with a wide range of customisation options including external sticker designs, new interior coloured trim and a range of alloy wheels to choose from at not extra cost.

2013 Renault Clio Dynamique MediaNav TCe 90 inside

The interior has taken a real step forwards in terms of architecture and quality. Our 0.9 litre Dynamique MediaNav TCe 90 test car was trimmed with some very good looking piano black plastics and was dominated by the cars new touch screen media system. The system housed inside the console allows for easy access to the radio, satellite navigation and BlueTooth settings. The blue trimmed cabin is very well engineered in terms of ergonomics with a comfortable seating positions and a steering wheel that fits very nicely to the hand. Air conditioning controls were in easy to reach positions and are highlighted with neat LED lighting as they are adjusted. Also finding a home within the cars interior are the new Bass Reflex speakers that allow for high levels of clarity even at antisocial levels of volume. It is clear that Renault have packed the Clio 4 with tech and as a result the interior of the car is a very pleasant place to be.

On the road this particular Clio does struggle in some areas. Its turbocharged petrol engine may produce 90BHP but it has to be worked very hard to get the most out of it. All of the power is right at the top of the rev range and though its turbo produces very little lag, it does become little tiresome having to work the gearbox so comprehensively to go anywhere quick. The Clio’s merits lay within its chassis and suspension. The ride is very smooth even on the UK’s battered tarmac surface and the responsiveness when you want to change the cars direction is most welcome. There is a notable amount of body roll when cornering at speed and the steering doesn’t offer too much in the way of driver feedback, that said the cars breaks are very good.

This TCe 90 is good for 62MPG and emits just 104g/km of CO2. I personally think this specific Clio’s problem is the three cylinder engine under the bonnet. It ticks all of the boxes as far as looking after the environment is concerned but when you just want this car to be a revvy little petrol hatchback you can take onto B-roads and just throw into corners the unit provides very little enthusiasm. I genuinely like the brand new car very much with its high quality finishes and curvaceous looks, but I was rather hoping that this pint-sized petrol engine would behave more like an excited Jack Russell.

As an everyday car the 2013 Renault Clio has what it takes to compete with the top of its class, and with the best Euro NCAP results, family buyers should take note. However, the diesel engine is the pick of the bunch.

Review: 2013 Renault Clio Dynamique MediaNav dCi 90

When the Renault Clio 3 was released, there was an almost audible thud that resonated across the country as every motoring journalist across the country dropped their A5 notepad to the table and thought “here we go again, another bland Clio”. The Clio 3 wasn’t a very adventurous, so you can imagine the tense looks on the faces of the motoring press as the new model was unveiled.

Sufficed to say the new Clio 4 is an excellent piece of engineering. They’ve put it on a diet and made it 45mm lower, 100kg lighter and widened it out a bit. A tuned chassis means the cabin is now almost silent apart from the soft clunk of the excellent new gearbox which allows for faster and smoother gear changes than the previous instalment. The model I drove was the 1.5 dCi which boots out 90 horsepower and 220nm torque. All this amounts to a top speed of 112 and it’ll politely dash to 62 in 11.7 seconds.

Economy in this model is excellent and if you’re driving downhill in 5th gear at 2000 revs with a tailwind, you’ll be reaching the dizzying heights of 88mpg but around town you can expect a more down to earth 70mpg. As with most small diesel hatchbacks these days the emissions are 90g/km which plonks it firmly in the ‘A’ tax band. This new Clio is also very spacious and I could fit all 6 foot 5 inches of me into the back with enough headroom and even with the seat all the way back in the front you could fit a child or a small adult behind me. Way in the back the large boot is big enough for a large family shop with room to spare.

Renault is never the first company I come to when talking about interior quality, but this new model left me lost for words. I drove the Dynamique spec and the inside was excellent, awash with piano black and high quality plastics with a very comfortable leather gear knob and matching half-leather steering wheel. Clear digital dials and the responsive R-Link Touchscreen Media/Navigation system makes the cockpit a very pleasant place to be. Renault have also overhauled the sound system making use of the latest Arkamys 3D Sounds technology coupled with a new 30L subwoofer and high quality tweeters. This equates to no distortion even at the highest of volumes.

There is no denying that Renault have done wonders with this new Clio by comparison to the previous model, thanks of new designer Laurens Van Der Acker who’s brief is simply to “make beautiful cars”. The exterior of this car really is head-turningly pleasant and with added features like extra-tinted rear windows this is a great family hatchback on a budget. What Renault have done here most of all though is given Ford something to worry about, and that’s not too easy to do in the hatchback market. With prices starting at £10,995 for the most spartan model, the Expression and up to £14,995 for the tres belle Dynamique S, this little car is competitively priced as well. Renault will also be bringing two sport models with the GT-Line tCe120 and Clio-Sport 200. These new sport models will definitely be biting at the ankles of the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST and Vauxhall Corsa VXR. The big question is, have Renault finally made a Clio to rival its competitors? And the answer is a yes.

 

Inside Lane “the podcast” Episode 49

Hello and welcome to Episode 49 of the podcast! As we sit on the edge of the big 5-0 podcast Tyler, Matt and Steve bring you your healthy dose of the latest news on all things four wheeled. This week Matthew reveals the controversial new Renault Clio, Tyler talks Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster, and Steve announces Aston’s brand new Vanquish. All that as well as the latest from Formula One and the WRC.

Enjoy!

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2013 Renault Clio Unveiled

Every car manufacturer has a core product that it sells vast quantities of. These models are very important for the health of the business and so when it comes to redesigning them, a great deal of care is taken. Renault’s little Clio is a brilliant hatchback offering well priced practicality and a reasonable level of driver involvement. Today Renault has spilt the beans on their next generation car.

This is the 4th car to take the Clio name and the French claim that this incarnation offers even higher levels of quality and refinement. That may be so, but look at it! It really is an ugly machine. Did nobody attempt to curb the designers enthusiasm for obscure and repulsive design features? That aside, if you can remove the hideous imagery from your mind, the new car is more spacious than the one it replaces and inside appears to have a more premium architecture. The new Clio must compete with Peugeot’s 208 and so pricing will be a crucial element of this cars success or failure. Entry level for this Clio will be a 0.9 litre turbocharged motor.

Expect to shield your eyes from the all-new Clio when it hits the road in early 2013.

Renault Clio Red Bull RB7 Edition

With the resurgence of the hatchback in these though economic times manufacturers are looking more inventive ways to boost sales. Renault have an active role in Formula One as an engine supplier and even power double world champions Red Bull Racing. Not quite in the same way as the Williams edition of the Clio in the 90’s, a new special edition heads to market.

This rather sinister hot hatch is the RB7 Edition, named after the championship winning racing car. Sporting yellow trim on top of that deep metallic black paint, the car also incorporates the Red Bull logo and a checkered roof. The Red Bull Edition is based on the Clio R.S. and so has the CUP chassis as standard, the power of 203 horses and a higher grade of tyre.

Want one? Well many of you will be disappointed as it is only being sold in a handful of European countries, the UK is not included.

Renault Clio Special Is Teenage Attitude

We are currently experiencing a hot-hatch war and the word is from the front line that it could get just as spicy as it did in the 90’s! People today don’t have vast sums of money to play with and so a cheap and practical thill becomes four wheeled euphoria. Renault are a key protagonist in these ongoing battles and their latest combatant is ready to rumble.

This is the Renault Clio Renaultsport 200 Raider, and no it’s not just you, this machine sure looks angry. Sporting a meatier body kit, including a more aggressive front bumper, the special edition car deserves an ASBO. Fitted with some grippier Bridgestone tyres and “back away” jet black rims the Raider will be limited to just 50 units. All this teenage frustration will cost a reasonable £17,930.

Renault to Sell Clio for 90’s Prices

Remember the 90’s? When there wasn’t an awful lot of money floating about and as a result prices remained steady. It’s a far cry from today’s fanatical situation where inflation has taken its toll on the economy, and a slice of bread will cost you your pension. Well Renault is also reminiscing of the 1990’s where its cracking Clio was launched 20 years ago. To celebrate, instead of releasing a tacky anniversary edition, the company are going to sell 1,000 Clio 1.2 Extremes for the same amount as they would have done in the 90’s.

The outcome is £3,590 off the cars original price making this an offer not to be missed. Yes Renault will still release a 20th anniversary wagon to silence the Clio owners club, but at least this is news we can all take advantage of. The offer is only on from the 21st to the 23rd of May so if you want your Clio for pre-credit crunch prices you best get you skates on!