RENAULT NAILS CLIO’S UPDATE

A sportier look and better infotainment system added to a high-end interior means the French giant is on to a winner

WHAT a year to be at Renault. Last year’s Austral is doing well for them, the 5 is getting a hotly-anticipated revival, there is an all-new Captur coming — as written about last week — and there have been well-received makeovers to the Arkana (see SundayWorld.com) and now this Clio.

The Clio last topped the French company’s sales numbers in 2021 just as the Arkana was introduced to the world and since then the supermini has slid down the internal hierarchy.

So this fifth-generation version (first launched in 1990) has been given its midlife makeover including an injection from the Esprit Alpine wing of the company. The improved partnership means the company’s everyday road cars are getting connected to the Alpine sports brand.

That gives this Clio an altogether sportier and fresh look, making it far more relevant and competitive in the hatchback segment.

Just think about the likes of the Polo, Corsa, 208, Yaris, Ibiza, i20, Sandero, C3 and the Fabia, and you have an idea of how busy the sector is.

This Clio E-Tech Hybrid starts from a very impressive €24,845 here, which will give you the entry-level Evolution trim line, which is a TCe 90 petrol engine. It’s far from devoid of kit, either.

Standard features include LED headlights, electrically-adjustable and heated door mirrors, automatic air conditioning, rear-parking sensors, lane assist and lane departure warning and decent 16-inch alloy wheels.

Inside there is a grey fabric upholstery and two separate seven-inch screens; a driver’s display and a central touchscreen. The infotainment centre includes navigation and is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, while I can announce with pride and joy that the updated system is far better than previous versions.

For an extra €1,700 you move on to the Evolution trim which adds upgraded LED headlights, keyless entry and starting, a reversing camera, much nicer 17-inch alloy wheels, an electric parking brake, Renault’s Multi-sense selectable driving modes, traffic sign recognition, sharper exterior looks, different seat trim using recycled materials and wireless phone charging. To be honest, it is a complete no brainer for that money.

Then you have my test car; the Esprit Alpine for another €1,800 extra. The top trim adds the aforementioned sportier body kit, an even nicer 17-inch wheel design with coloured inserts, heated sporting front seats, a heated sports steering wheel.

The infotainment screen grows to a much more user-friendly 9.3 inches, plus there’s an even bigger 10-inch digital instrument cluster. Safety kit is boosted with adaptive cruise control, blind spot and rear cross-traffic alert all added.

So what about the engine options?

All three trims are available with Renault’s TCe 90 powerplant, which comes with a 1-litre turbocharged three-cylinder configuration on a six-speed manual gearbox.

However, the company’s E-Tech Hybrid version requires a further investment of €5,700 which gives you a 1.6-ltr four-cylinder petrol engine that runs alongside a 105kW electric motor and a 1.2kWh battery. It comes with an automatic gearbox that definitely helps when trying to shift power.

Inside is surprisingly high end compared to the asking price. The rotary controls come with a lovely metal bezel to manage the climate controls. There are some hard plastics used here too, but I will forgive this because it is good looking and keeps costs down.

The seats are sporty yet don’t make you feel bad about your love handles and there is a pretty fat steering wheel that was lovely to hold. There are Alpine logos dotted around, while the seatbelts and fabric dashboard feature red, white and blue stitching, and there are little French tricolours on the seats and in other places around the cabin.

Three adults won’t really make it into the back for any great length of time, but it is possible, and the boot comes with a pretty decent and very-specific 301 litres. Although if you are opting for a non-hybrid version, I was reading that you actually get 391 litres.

It is nippy to drive (it is front wheel) and feels safe and grounded for its size. There is a decent 145hp at your disposal and it comes with a 144Nm of torque from a standing start.

Forget about the high-speed numbers though, this car is at its most comfortable and competent operating at lower speeds which made my daily school runs and the work commute so easy and fun.

You do feel a but more of the road surface coming up through the seats but I would put that down to the low-profile nature of this top-spec car and the larger wheels. It certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

In conclusion, this has a brilliant entry level price (€24,845) and is a gorgeous looking supermini.

By the time my test vehicle had all of its add-ons to the trim line and the powertrain it came in at €10k more (€34,045) which makes it a spicy option.

However, it was a lot of fun to drive, was finished with a high-end level of interior trim, it came with far more space than expected — even with the small enough boot I found it worked for our weekly family needs — and, most importantly, the E-Tech hybrid works well for the ever-increasing number of car buyers who want to move towards full electrification without taking the ultimate EV plunge.