2014 Renault Clio Reviews

Renault’s Clio is a heavy-hitter in the light hot-hatch stakes. The junior hot hatch market is fertile ground for enthusiastic drivers on a budget.

It doesn't come as a surprise that Australia is the biggest market in the world for hot Renault RS (RenaultSport) models on a per capita basis. Biggest after France, that is.

Renault's new Clio continues the advance of the French company's rebirth down under. The Clio is now in its fourth generation and is offered in three specification levels in Australia; Clio Authentique, Expression and Dynamique. The Authentique starts at $16,790, the Dynamique tops out the range at a still reasonable

Renault's RS (Renault Sport) brand has plenty of cachet among those who know their cars. It's pretty much the French AMG but when you boil it all down.

We've been punting this cute little number around the streets and highways near home for the past three months, making irregular visits to the servo and making a big impression on the neighbours.

Away from the performance specials they produce from time to time, it's difficult to think of a French car in the past few years that ticked all the boxes.

The latest player in the light-car class is going to turn heads and market share. Renault's fourth-generation Clio lands with a pair of sweet, fuel-efficient engines and a tight body wrapped in curvaceous panels. A five-year warranty and capped price servicing at $299 annually for three years puts the Clio on a par with the best of this breed.VALUEThe Clio's pricing is almost as sharp as its looks. The Volkswagen Polo and Mazda2 were two key benchmarks for Renault. Accordingly, the Clio kicks off at $16,790 for the Authentique model with 15-inch steel rims, a 900cc turbo engine and a five-speed manual transmission. The Expression range adds alloy wheels, an 18cm touchscreen with updated infotainment and bling for $1000, while the same model with the 1.2-litre four-cylinder and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission is $19,790. It costs $300 to add powered rear windows to the Expression models, but the price includes electric folding side mirrors, auto headlights and wipers and keyless entry.The range maxes out at $23,290 for the Dynamique, which adds climate control aircon, 16-inch alloys and upgraded interior trim. The VW line-up extends from $16,990-$21,490; the Mazdas are $15,790-$18,580.TECHNOLOGYIgnore the engine size -- the Renaults push out more grunt than cubic capacity suggests. The triple-cylinder 900cc engine is manual-only and good for 66kW/135Nm. Those are marginally bigger numbers than the 1.4-litre Polo and performance is lineball at a tick over 12 seconds to 100km/h.Where the Clio's wins is its official fuel consumption: 4.5 litres/100km against 6.1 litres for the VW. Step-up to the 1.2-litre four-cylinder Clio with 88kW/190Nm and the only option is automatic. The sprint time drops to 9.4 seconds and fuel use rises marginally to 5.2L/100km.DESIGNFrench flair is the Clio's strong suit. It relies on contrasting curves to create a taut, athletic look that works from all angles.  It's a five-door car with the lines of a three-door, courtesy of concealed rear door handles and tapering roofline.  The profile also defies convention with a protruding protective plastic strip that runs along the bottom of both doors.It is practical and adds to the car's aesthetic look, with a range of colour-coded highlights. The front end bears the company's new signature styling with a large silver Renault logo set in a gloss black background.  The interior plastics have a texture and feel that should be appreciated -- soft-touch where it counts and durable where needed.SAFETYEuroNCAP awarded the Clio the best supermini of 2012 accolade after the car earned top marks in three of the four categories -- adult and child protection and safety assist features. All models have dual front and side head and chest airbags, stability and traction control and hill-start assist. The ride height is 45mm lower than the outgoing Clio model and the car is 100kg lighter, both of which translate into improved roadholding.DRIVINGThe 900cc three-cylinder engine is essentially the four-cylinder with a piston shaved off it. So power is down around 25 per cent. That makes it a capable urban runabout but it can struggle at low revs on hilly country roads as the engine tries to get back on boost.Brisk use of the manual gearbox helps overcome it on all but the steepest inclines. It would still be an issue on take-off in Sydney's hilly streets with four adults on board -- assuming you can find two adults to fit in the back. Like most light cars, the rear-pew legroom restricts it to occasional use for grown-ups.The 1.2-litre engine is the best option, with the Expression model representing the best value. The dual-clutch auto occasionally hunts for a gear uphill, but it's not meant to be driven like a sports car -- that'll be the duty of the RS model.Noise suppression in both cars is first rate over any surface and the suspension sets a nice balance between compliance and composure. Steering heft is likewise on the money andVERDICTLight car buyers will struggle to find a reason not to consider the Clio. It has the looks, the liveliness and the layout to impress in this market.Renault ClioPrice: from $16,790-$23,290Capped servicing: 3 yearsService intervals: 12 months/15,000kmEngine: 0.9L turbo 3-cylinder, 66kW/135Nm; 1.2L turbo 4-cylinder, 88kW/190NmTransmission: 5-speed manual or 6-speed dual clutch auto, FWDThirst: 4.5L/100km (0.9L engine), 5.2L/100km (1.2L engine)Dimensions: 4.06m (L), 1.73m (W), 1.45m (H)Weight: 1019kg-1104kgSpare: Temporary 

There is a little touch of Godzilla about the new Renault Clio RS. Just like the Japanese juggernaut, the new French funster has a turbocharged engine with an entertaining soundtrack and is capable of punching above its weight.But take a close look in the cabin and you find exactly the same gearshift paddles as the ones used in the GT-R, snitched for double duty thanks to family ties through the Renault-Nissan alliance.The classy alloy paddles are no surprise in a new RS that's had a massive makeover as part of the Clio 4 conversion. The fourth-generation French baby now comes with five doors, a six-speed double-clutch gearbox, and even brakes taken from the V6-engined Laguna.Australian buyers will get the sharper Cup chassis settings and standard RS equipment includes red-stitched leather sports seats, as well as the R-Link system that allows data logging and lap times for owners who want to hit the track on weekends."The Clio range is incredibly important to us. It's the return of an icon and the Renault Sport model is the halo over the range. It's the hero," the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide.The pocket rocket goes up against a wide spread of rivals in Australia including the Mini Cooper S, Opel Corsa OPC and Volkswagen's Polo GTi, but is not coming for another year because of the slow ramp-up of production at Renault Sport in France.When the RS does arrive, following the regular Clio in September, it is promised with a value price tag that will undercut the current $36,490 sticker.I'm not exactly sure how it will perform down under, because the press preview drive in Spain put me into a Sports chassis for the majority of the driving. It's nice, and nicely compliant and mature, but misses the edginess I expect from a Clio RS. Track time in the Cup car promises the answers, but rain ruins it. I know it is a nicer car than Clio 3, but the course is flooded and it's like driving on ice, so the RS Cup cannot give its best. I'm convinced that it's a very good car, but I don't know if it will be great in Australia.VALUERenault is doing a Toyota with the RS, committing to a price cut even though the car is not coming until 2014."It certainly won't be more than the outgoing car. That's $36,490," Hocevar reveals."And we've got capped price servicing at $299 with one service a year, so we have a good story for the customer. What does a Corolla cost to service? There are two a year, for a start."Renault Australia has only sold 500 Clio RSs since the car returned to the range in 2007 and it could easily top that number in the first full year with Clio 4.It's banking on the appeal of the five-door body, which boosts flexibility and includes a roomy boot - without any sort of spare - as well as plenty of standard equipment.The RS gets the usual stuff including power steering, aircon and electric windows, but it's things like the body kit bits, bigger alloys, sports suspension and bigger brakes that boost the bottom line. There is a built-in bonus to the six-speed double clutch gearbox, which functions like an auto until you take manual control.The Clio RS is not as cheap as a Skoda Fabia RS, or even the Polo GTi that sits in the same size line, but it is edgier and more exclusive.TECHNOLOGYClio 4 is a much better base for the Renault Sport engineers, from the bigger footprint of the chassis to a smoother body and suspension that's better in coping with 147 kiloWatts and 240 Newton-metres of torque.Some RS owners and fans will question the decision to switch to turbo power and bin the manual gearbox, but the turbo and EDC - efficient dual clutch - six-speed gearbox are typical of the moves across the performance car landscape. We've already seen it in cars up to the BMW M5.There is lots of impressive stuff in the car, from an electronic launch control and hydraulic bump stops in the dampers to an electronic differential, as well as the R-Link infotainment system with data logging for track work. It also does well in engine efficiency, using just 6.3 litres/100 kilometres with CO2 of just 144 grams/kilometres.Importantly, the Cup chassis is the choice for Australia to satisfy the proven customer preference. It sits three millimetres lower and gets springs that are more than 20 per cent stiffer, as well as special damper settings."We think the Cup chassis is what Australians will gravitate towards. That's been the experience with the Megane. Early in life of Clio there was Sport and Cup, but then we just started doing the Cup chassis," Hocevar says.On the electronic side, there is a three-position system that runs from Normal to Sport and Race, sharpening throttle response, adding more heft to the steering, cutting electronic intervention and making for quicker shifts with full manual control of the gearbox.Hold the left-hand paddle and it even makes multiple downshifts, something previously only seen in the Ferrari 458 and McLaren MP4-12C.DESIGNThe Clio RS is cute more than crazy. It looks sharp with twin exhausts and 17-inch alloys - 18s are optional - as well as red stitching on the seats and colour highlights in other areas of the cabin.The basic work on Clio 4 means the back seat is pretty roomy, the boot space is useful and it's a quiet car. There are sports bucket seats in the RS, and alloy pedals, as well as those shift paddles and a dashboard that integrates the R-Link system very well.SAFETYThe regular Clio is a five-star car that actually topped its class in European crash tests, which is good news also for the RS.Predictably, there is a full suite of airbags and electronic stability and braking controls, although - no surprise at the size and price - no sign of radar cruise control or automatic braking systems.The R-Link system is expected to be standard for Australia, which brings a rear camera in addition to parking radar.DRIVINGI have driven a bunch of Renault Sport cars and I came to the new Clio with baggage. I expected it to be a rorty little roller skate with an over-sharp focus on WRX-style thrills.But the Clio is sensible and refined, surprisingly mature but also plenty quick with a 0-100km/h below seven seconds. It also cranks up plenty of aural action, helped by the twin-pipe exhaust and a tube that feeds inlet sounds into the cabin.I'm immediately impressed by the comfort and cabin quality, even though there is a lot of hard plastic and some switches are tucked away, and when I ease into the traffic in Spain the car is quiet and compliant.I'm surprised by the punch from an engine with only 1.6 litres, but not by the slick and quick shifts from the EDC gearbox. It works fine as an auto and is great for manual changes, although the paddles are a better choice than the long-throw lever and the pedals are too close for comfortable left-foot braking.But … here it comes … I'm driving the Clio Sport and not the Cup car we'll get in Australia. That means it lacks the track-tautness of other Renault Sport models, although the brakes are good, it grips very well in turns, and there is plenty of performance.So I'm looking forward to track time in a Cup car on a tight-and-twisty course. Until it rains. The track is like ice and, even though the Clio RS is great fun, I want more. I want to know how it rides, if it's too noisy, if it delivers the thrills I expect from an all-out Renault Sport rocket.The surface dries a little and my second run shows there is great compliance and no crash-bang nasties over kerbs, as well as a great response from the engine and genuine enjoyment from the double-clutch six speed. But it's still too damp to really, really know.So, as I slide back into a Sport model for the run back to the airport, I'm happy and impressed. But I still have too many questions to give you all the answers.VERDICTEverything points to a Renault Sport winner that is going to make the new Clio a cult hero.Renault Clio RSPrice: less than $36,490Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmService Interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TCCrash rating: 5 starsEngine: 1.6-litre turbo petrol, 147kW/240NmTransmission: 6-speed dual-clutch; FWDThirst: 6.3L/100km, 144g/km CO2Dimensions: 4.09m (L), 1.73m (W), 1.43m (H)Weight: 1204kgSpare: none