New Clio trounces Fiesta and Ibiza to take supermini honours

NEW superminis are always big news because they’re among the biggest-selling cars in the UK, thanks to buyers loving how they bring practicality and efficiency into a small, affordable and easy-to-drive package. So we were excited to see if the all-new Renault Clio would be able to take on two talented rivals: the Ford Fiesta and SEAT Ibiza.

With the Fiesta being Britain’s best-selling car and the Ibiza trading blows with it in various Auto Express group tests over the past few years, the Clio really had its work cut out in this competitive class – but the French car impressed first time out and drove away with the win.

There were several key areas that we focused on in this test: value for money, running costs and technology, with plenty of importance also placed on handling, ride comfort, practicality and safety. The fifth-generation Clio showed a big improvement in every area to take class honours.

With value being such an important factor, the Renault’s low price and good level of standard equipment put it in a strong position before we’d even driven it. Once we got inside it was clear that the Clio would also beat its rivals on cabin quality, with a new infotainment system that’s up to date and more usable, and comparable in-car tech.

The all-new interior impressed our testers, and with standard equipment including AEB, sat-nav, cruise control, LED lights and parking sensors even on our low-spec Iconic test car, it was very well equipped for the cash.

While the Clio’s rear-seat space left a bit to be desired, there was more room in its boot than in either the Fiesta or the Ibiza, and therefore plenty of practicality; 391 litres is more than enough for daily duties. And when we got the

Renault out on British roads it became clear that the new French supermini also had the ride and handling balance to steal a win from its rivals. While the Fiesta is still the besthandling car in its class and delivers plenty of fun, and the Ibiza has a great engine and gearbox, the Renault rides more smoothly. For most buyers, this matters more, and it’s all the more impressive when you realise that the Ford and SEAT are by no means poor in this category.

The Clio’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine was more disappointing. It fell behind the Ford and SEAT in our acceleration tests, and felt a bit underpowered, but at least it was quiet and refined. This wasn’t enough to take away from the Renault’s appeal, though, and its good driving position helped add to its appeal.

All three of these models returned nearly identical fuel economy on test, so costs came down to finance and list price – and with the established models costing more than the newcomer, the Clio was able to hop ahead of the SEAT and finish in first place.

While the Fiesta is lots of fun and the Ibiza has a great engine, the Clio rides more smoothly