Renault Clio 2013: Launch Review

Renault Clio Authentique, Expression and Dynamique

Not so much:
>> Inert steering feel 
>> Low airbag count (four)
>> Obscured rearward visibility

From this month the new fourth-generation Clio changes all that. It will arrive in local showrooms with a class-competitive model line-up, a mix that places Clio in good stead to compete with stalwart models like the Mazda Mazda2, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen Polo in a bustling category now boasting 34 competitors!

Pricing too now sees the Clio slot in well beneath the VFACTS light-car division of $25K. It’s great news for buyers, especially when you consider the modernity of the Clio’s chassis and drivetrain, high level of standard equipment and, we think, conservative good looks.

Interestingly enough, they were sculpted by former Mazda styling front man, Laurens van den Acker and taken in part from the 2010 Renault DeZir concept car.

Of his creation, van den Acker said: “New Renault Clio was conceived as a piece of sensuous sculpture which stimulates desire. Like muscles, its curves express the dynamism radiated by the DeZir concept car. No acute or aggressive angles, just voluptuous curves that make you want to reach out and caress it.”

While we’re not sure we’d take things quite that far, we will admit the Clio is a very attractive little hatch, and one that we think is certain to appeal to male and female buyers alike.

Theories aside, the Clio lands in base form from $16,790 (or $18,990 drive-away). That’s the entry price for the entry-spec Clio Authentique which arrives kitted to compete with light-car foes, such as those listed below (see COMPETITORS).

For that money, the Clio Authentique provides buyers with LED daytime running lamps, ‘see me home’ lights, remote central locking, powered front windows and mirrors, cruise control, idle stop-start, air-con, trip computer, cloth trim, twin-speaker single-CD tuner with USB and Bluetooth connectivity and 15-inch steel wheels.

It is offered exclusively with an 898cc three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

Shell out a little more and the mid-spec Clio Expression (pictured in blue) rewards budding Francophiles with considerably more kit. At $17,790 (plus ORCs) the in-betweener of the Clio range adds front foglights, a touch-screen four-speaker Arkamys single-CD tuner with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, sat-nav, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearknob, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The mid-grade Clio Expression is available with a choice of the same three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox as its Authentique sibling, or the option of a larger, 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol married to a six-speed EDC automated manual transmission.

The latter is priced from $19,790 (plus ORCs) but drops the idle stop-start system, as this is not yet compatible with the EDC transmission.

Finally, at the top of the Clio tree sits the high-grade Dynamique (pictured in red). It retails from $23,290 (plus ORCs) and adds dusk-sensing headlights, rear parking sensors, hands-free entry and push-button engine start, climate-control air-conditioning, a driver’s armrest, powered rear windows, plus heated and folding wing mirrors.

The Clio Dynamique arrives only with the aforementioned high-spec four-pot turbo-petrol engine and six-speed automated manual gearbox.

Renault offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on all new Clios. Twenty-four hour roadside assistance is included for the duration of the warranty period. Clio’s service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) and are capped at $299 per service for the first three years.

High-grade Clio models feature Renault’s tablet-style R-Link infotainment system, which offers a user-friendly seven-inch touch-screen alternative to the long-criticised OEM Renault system.

Depending on grade, the stylish ‘floating’ unit offers audio, Bluetooth telephony, internet, real-time navigation and vehicle connectivity pages. It is fully customisable, includes voice control functionality and steering column-mounted switches.

Option packages extend to an Electric Pack for mid-grade Clio Expression (offered standard on the high-grade Clio Dynamique) or a Premium Pack for the high-grade Clio Dynamique.

The former adds dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear power windows, electric folding door mirrors, and hands-free entry and push-button start to the Clio Expression for $300.

The latter sees the high-spec Clio Dynamique adopt an upgraded four-speaker, dual-tweeter 3D Arkamys audio system with enhanced sat-nav interface, R-Sound, voice recognition and a rear-view camera.

A long list of personalisation options is also available, including coloured decals ($350), metallic paint ($550), a fixed panoramic sunroof ($1490), coloured interior trim ($250) and coloured 16-inch alloy wheels ($750).

MECHANICAL

The first of the turbo-petrol units, available in low- and mid-grade models, is Renault’s TCe90 unit. This three-cylinder multi-point injected mill displaces 898cc and delivers 66kW at 5250rpm and 135Nm at 2500rpm. It is mated exclusively to a five-speed manual gearbox.

Renault says the triple is capable of accelerating the Clio to 100km/h in 12.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 182km/h. It is said to consume just 4.5L/100km of premium unleaded petrol on the combined cycle while emitting 105g/km of CO2.

For mid- and high-grade models Renault offers its TCe120 four-cylinder petrol engine. Displacing 1197cc, this direct-injected and turbocharged unit delivers 88kW at 4900 and 190Nm at 2000rpm. It is married to a six-speed automated manual transmission dubbed EDC (or Efficient Dual Clutch) in Renault parlance.

Renault says the combination will see Clio hit 100km/h in 9.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 199km/h. The four-cylinder mill uses 5.2L/100km of premium unleaded on the combined cycle and emits 120g/km of CO2.

All Clio variants, regardless of trim-spec, are front-wheel drive and ride on a MacPherson strut front/torsion beam rear suspension arrangement. Steering is electronically assisted and endows the Clio with a 10.6-metre turning circle and 2.71 turns lock-to-lock.

Braking duties fall to a disc/drum combination backed by an anti-lock system with electronic stability control, brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist and hill-start functionality.

Wheel sizes vary with grade (see PRICE AND EQUIPMENT above) though all models include a full-size steel spare wheel mounted in a clever recess beneath the boot floor.

PACKAGING

Three-cylinder variants tip the scales at 1019kg whereas four-cylinder models weigh in at 1104kg. Each has a braked towing capacity of 900kg.

The new Clio rides stiffer, wider and lower than before, which is good news for aerodynamics and handling. At 4063mm long, the new Clio is closer in size to cars in the category above it and a whopping 283mm longer than a Nissan Micra!

The Clio measures 1732mm in width, which means it’s 67mm wider than our Micra yardstick, and stands 1448mm tall (77mm shorter than the Nissan). The wheelbase also grows -- up 14mm to 2589 (compared to Clio III).

The five-door-only Clio hatch looks coupe-like with its hidden rear door-handles and offers generously-sized apertures from which to load (and unload) people and things. The cargo area totals 300 litres (up 12L) with seats in place, but can be expanded via a 60:40-split folding rear bench to liberate as much as 1146 litres.

The driver’s pew is adjustable through 70mm more range than before, meaning taller drivers will be better accommodated. The steering column is adjustable for reach and rake. Most controls fall easily to hand and offer sensible labelling for ease of understanding.

There’s a decent level of oddment storage, a deep glovebox and pair of (smallish) drink holders too.

Ergonomically, the Clio is better than it’s ever been -- partly due to its increase in size. However, despite good forward and lateral vision the Clio’s thicker C-pillars can obscure rearward vision, especially when reversing from a 45-degree park.

SAFETY

For adult occupants, the Clio scored an 88 per cent score with child occupant safety rated at a similarly high 89 per cent. Pedestrian safety scored reasonably well at 66 per cent, while (electronic) safety assistance features tallied a near-perfect 99 per cent result.

Like most in this class, the Clio offers a full complement of electronic driver assistance technologies, three-point seatbelts and head restraints in all five seating positions, plus seatbelt reminders and pyrotechnic pretensioners for front-seat passengers.

Both top-tether and ISOFIX child seat anchor points are fitted to each of the outboard rear positions. The front passenger pew is also offered with ISOFIX preparation.

COMPETITORS

It is, after all, well matched in terms of size and specification when compared to its ‘continental’ rivals. But as we mentioned at the outset, the Clio range Down Under has until now focussed primarily on the sportier end of the segment. Historically, RenaultSport models have sold well here, and will likely continue to do so. Now, the mainstream models have their chance to shine too.

It had want to shine much more brightly than before, however, with no fewer than 34 direct competitors in the light-car segment. Judging by its no-nonsense pricing and competitive kit list, Renault Australia understands this predicament.

The new Clio will compete against strong sellers including the soon-to-be-replaced Mazda Mazda2 (with year-to-date sales of 11,012 units), Toyota’s evergreen Yaris (9800), the Indian-built Hyundai i20 (8361), Suzuki’s Swift (7425) and Mitsubishi’s budget-busting Mirage (6908).

Renault Australia says it expects the new Clio to achieve sales somewhere in the vicinity of 2000 units a year -- a vast improvement over the single Clio registered in July and the 74 sold so far this year.

ON THE ROAD

The rear seat is equally spacious once inside, though if the front-seat passengers are tall, rear legroom is reduced significantly. We’re also not a fan of the roof-mounted centre belt, which is fiddly to put on (especially when there’s someone sitting either side of you) and can impact on luggage space when carrying taller items.

Once on the move, the Clio is impressively quiet. There’s next to no noise, vibration or harshness qualms and at freeway speeds there’s virtually no intrusion of wind noise. The gearshift and clutch feel are light and accurate, while the brake pedal offers modulation just right for stopping the Clio in time for staccato city traffic.

Stretching the Clio’s legs, we find the three-cylinder engine offers ample power for day-to-day work, though needs plenty of revs to commit to brisk overtaking. Steep hills make staying in a lower gear ideal, though if you’re prepared to work with the car, performance in this respect is not what you’d call disappointing. At freeway speeds, the triple turns over at 2600rpm.

Obviously, the more powerful four-cylinder engine is the pick of the litter for highway travel or more enthusiastic driving. The turbocharged offering, much like its three-cylinder sibling, presents negligible step-off lag, complementing the EDC transmission nicely. It is an efficient worker too, delivering much of its torque low in the rev range and piling on speed with deceptive ease.

Harder cornering and steeper hills showed the four-cylinder Clio was more capable than its output figures would suggest. Partly, this is because the composure of the chassis allows more speed to be carried through corners, relying less on the strength of the engine to ‘pull’ Clio from the curve.

That said, the transmission’s willingness to cooperate with throttle inputs, or to work with instruction from the manual override, keeps the Clio moving along just nicely. The drivetrain is smooth and not easily flustered. In short, it feels modern and confident.

If we had one negative to the Clio’s otherwise reassuring feel at the wheel it would be that the electrically assisted steering is devoid of feel and unnecessarily light. Driver feedback is numb, which means placing the Clio on the road precisely can take a little finessing.

Around town, however, we’re sure most buyers will enjoy the feather-touch tiller as it makes the Clio exceptionally easy to park. Considering what most buyers are likely to use this city-hatch for, we’re sure they won’t mind this one criticism.

On balance, the Clio is refined and resolutely modern. It’s one of the best cars we’ve sampled in this class and -- considering the added benefits of a long warranty, five years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing -- this pint-size European hatch makes a lot of sense from a cost of ownership perspective too.

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