Renault Clio Guide
The Renault Clio is an established, long time favourite in the supermini class. It appeals to so many buyers partly because it comes in so many shapes and sizes. It also comes in a range of body styles - 3 and 5 door, with a vast range of engines.
The Clio is the largest car in its class and has an uncluttered, simple but well equipped interior. All of the Clio's dials and instruments are large and easily accessible.
Once seated at the wheel, the Clio's cabin is very spacious and offers the driver greater flexibility in seat and steering wheel position adjustments than you would find in many larger, more expensive cars.
There is also plenty of headspace.
Passengers are also well catered for; the rear is roomy giving plenty of leg space and the boot is very generous for a car in this class.
Overall the Clio makes for a great car for the first time car buyer, the small family and the older driver. It is this versatility that has kept the Clio at the top of its class for so many years.
Driving & Practicality
The Clio delivers on so many levels. From starting the engine; Keycard entry is a nice and unexpected touch in this class and is an indication of the quality of the marque, to the ride quality.
The Clio chassis gives a comfortable ride and even the entry level 1.2 Litre handles very well. Noise from the engine and road are kept to a minimum even at higher speeds and this contibutes to a very relaxed drive.
Once you are on the move the Clio has great all-round visibility making it a breeze for reversing and parking. Parking is also made easier by the steering which is sensitive and light.
This combined with the fact that the Clio also enjoys low running costs; service intervals are every 18,000 miles or 2 years, relatively cheap insurance and fantastic fuel economy make owning this car a very attractive proposition for the more cost conscious driver.
Security & Safety
As you might expect from a Renault, safety is a key feature. The Clio scores an impressive five-star NCAP maximum for passenger safety.
ABS is also offered as standard, as is a minimum of four airbags on all models. A more recent addition to the Clio's safety features is active head restraint.
More recent models have a strengthened crash structure, which should improve safety further.
The Clio's standard security options include remote deadlocking, engine immobilizer and a security alarm. Once on the move automatic door locking kicks in when the vehicle exceeds 5mph; ideal for those with small children or when driving in built up areas late at night.
Speaking of chlidren the Clio has Isofix child seat mountings as standard.
Engine Options
The Clio comes in a huge range of petrol and diesel options:
- Engines: 1.2, 1.2 TCE, 1.6, 2.0,3.0 V6, 1.5 dCi
- Power: 74-230bhp
- Economy: 65-33.2mpg
- CO2g/km: 117-199
- Insurance groups: 3-15
Whatever you are looking for in a small car the Clio range has a model for you.
Around town the economical 1.2 litre is an economical choice, the 1.4 litre offers a bit more punch, but the 1.6 litre is the one to go for if the budget will stretch.
If you need to make longer journeys the 1.5 turbodeisel, which offers great economy (over 65 mpg!) and has very low CO2 figures, is probably the better choice.
However, if you are looking for out and out power the 230bhp 3.0 V6 is simply phenomenal.