Renault Scenic E-Tech Reviews

Renault Koleos Dynamique and Peugeot 4008 Allure go head-to-head in this comparative review.

We've no idea why Renault decided to send 'Jenny the Glam Passenger' on a lap of the Nurburgring in a Red Bull Racing Twingo RS......helmed by race driver Margot Laffite. With a goldfish in a fishbowl of water.Renault assures you that "no animals were harmed during the making of this film" but we're not so sure. That goldfish looked fairly unhappy. 

The  all-new Clio coming from France will sit at the bottom of a revitalised range that's already delivering record results in showrooms. The new Clio reflects the latest design direction from Paris, as well as a renewed commitment to a light-class car where it will go head-to-head with everything from the Toyota Yaris and Mazda2 to the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia with a likely starting price below $20,000. The Clio was withdrawn from Australian showrooms back in 2007 after a period of dismal sales with a car which was under-done and over-priced for Australia, eventually failing to even win worthwhile support as a cut-priced rental car. "It's a no-brainer that we need the new Clio. It's definitely coming," says Emily Ambrosy of Renault Australia. "It's going to get people into the brand, and it's the latest design statement for Renault. We're going to have a full range of models up to the RenaultSport Clio. "At the moment we only have the RenaultSport version of the Clio. It's doing well, but it's getting close to the end of its life. She says the Clio will have a very different role under the new regime at Renault Australia. "A lot has changed. Renault Australia has changed, and we're on a trajectory of growth. We had our biggest month ever in June, which was 540 cars. And we see Clio as being fundamental to continuing that growth in the future."  The new Clio has just been revealed in France and will be seen publicly for the first time at the Paris motor show in September. It will be nearly a year before the first cars reach Australia, with the hotrod RenaultSport model unlikely until the final months of 2013. "It will be here around the middle of next year. The regular models will come first, and then the RenaultSport cars about six months later. That's the same staggered timing as Europe, with RenaultSport Clio coming later." The Clio has been part of the Renault bedrock since 1990, with more than 11.5 million sold in more than 115 countries, but the newcomer is more stylish than in the past. "New Clio is set to make a real mark. In addition to an unprecedented package of innovations, it's design marks a major shift from that of previous models," says Carlos Tavares, chief operating office of Renault. The design of the car is much edgier, and is the first work of new styling chief Laurens van den Acker - formerly of Audi, Ford and Mazda - to his the road. Renault describes the shape of the Clio as 'voluptuous curves' and promises a cabin that is 'safe, protective and refreshing'. The technology package - not confirmed yet for Australia - includes an 18-centimetre touch screen and access to what Renault claims as the world's first automotive App store for its R-Link system. There is even a potential choice of six engine noises that can be piped into the cabin through the sound system. Mechanically, the headliner is a three-cylinder 900cc turbocharged petrol engine with the promise of 99 grams/kilometre of CO2 emissions. Renault Australia is already committed to the baby engine and the full package of models and equipment, but pricing is a long way from settled. "We are going to have the full thing. We'll have entry-level cars, petrol and diesel, manual and automatic. We see it as being one of our biggest models," says Ambrosy. "We haven't got the pricing yet. But it's a heavily competitive segment and we need to be sharply priced."  

The new Clio will be offered only in five-door form and will be manufactured in France and Turkey - with the attractive European car expected to reach Australia in mid 2013. Inspired by the DeZir concept car, the styling features a more prominent Renault logo on the front along with LED daytime running lights and chrome detailed headlights. The door lines also seem influenced by the concept car with distinct curves and lower door inserts. The Clio will be offered with the largest range of personalisation options for the French car manufacturer. Door mirror housings, grill bars, rear skirts and even a choice of roof graphics can be specified. The new car will also ride lower and have a wider track compared to the current third generation Clio. A seven-inch internet-ready touchscreen tablet will be offered as an option. Known as Renault R-link this system will offer voice commands, applications to encourage more efficient driving, TomTom satellite navigation as well as a range of downloadable apps. Notably they’ll have an option of a simulated engine sound effect app which will be synchronised with the car’s speed and acceleration. Europe will get two petrol engine options. The TCe 90 engine is a three-cylinder turbo charged 0.9 litre with output of 67kW and 135Nm and fuel consumption of 4.3 litres per 100km. This will be offered alongside the TCe 120, which is a 1.2-litre turbo and boasts figures of 89kW/190Nm. The new diesel engine on offer is the dCi 90. The four-cylinder 1.5-litre returns fuel consumption figures of 3.2 litres per 100km and outputs 67kW and 220Nm of torque. The latter two engine options can be paired with a brand new dual clutch six-speed transmission and all engines will feature stop-start technology. Safety ratings are yet to be determined but expectations are high for the new car, given that the Clio III was the first B-segment car to achieve five-star EuroNCAP in 2005. The Renaultsport version is expected to be released later in 2013 and will feature a 1.6-litre turbo charged engine. Representing a departure from the their traditional 2-litre naturally aspirated engines, the new power plant is predicted to at least match the 147.5kW output of the current model. Previewed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last week, the new hero car in the Clio range will also be able to be paired with the six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Further details on the new range are expected in September at the Paris Motor Show.  

So what's in a name? In some cases, the heritage of a name is like a national treasure... and that's certainly true for Alpine. Its DNA blends Renault's sporting passion and technical expertise. The Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car translates the most characteristic design features of the original A110 in a modern and spectacular way. The carbon-fibre bodywork features a new shade of blue which refreshes and reinterprets the famous original 'Alpine Blue'. Produced with the renowned expertise of Renault Sport Technologies, the Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car is imbued with the world of motorsport. It benefits from the experience gained from the racing Megane Trophy by using the same technical platform.  

More than a quarter of a million Toyota HiAce vans have been sold in Australia - but history is no pointer to the future of buyer trends. European manufacturers are taking a swipe at Toyota's lead, at the same time that the giant Japanese maker is seeing HiAce sales being lost to Hyundai's iLoad van model.This year to May, Hyundai sold 243 iLoads against 186 HiAces. But while the Korean now dominates commercial vans, the HiAce bus sold 264 units to give it dominance in the sub-20 seat bus sector.The Europeans are also in the race and though now small in number, there's a wave coming. This year in WA, Fiat sold 10 Scudo vans, Mercedes sold 24 Vitos, Ford found 66 Transit owners, Mitsubishi's Express went to 46 buyers while under the radar, Peugeot won two sales with its Expert, Volkswagen sold 17 Transporters and Renault's Trafic had five sales.Renault MasterRenault Trafic's big brother, the Master, is one of the latest to be upgraded as it takes on the Australian market. Renault has the biggest share of Europe's huge van segment but is almost unknown here. That may change.The Master is designed for big loads to be hauled over long distances - perfect, it seems, for Australia. It comes with payloads of up to 1650kg and in its long wheelbase format (there's also mid and short wheelbases) can fit up to three standard Australian pallets.The cargo area is 12.5cu.m - and even in the mi-wheelbase model, it's a cavernous 10.3cu.m - while the rear barn doors open to 270-degrees for easy loading with a forklift.The Master comes with one sliding door (on the left side), which is 1200mm wide, while a second sliding door is available as an option. For the Australian market, Renault boosted safety by fitting a steel bulkhead and a cargo barrier as standard equipment. This adds to the electronic stability control, traction control, ABS brakes and airbags for the driver and passenger.Pricing starts at $43,990 for the manual mid-wheelbase model and runs through to the long wheelbase with automated transmission for $47,490. The new Master is powered by a 107kW/350Nm 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that drives the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or $2300 optional six-speed automated (clutchless) transmission.Fuel consumption is claimed at 9.0 L/100km for the manual and 8.5L/100km for the automated version. More pertinent is the Master's range of more than 1230km with the semi-auto version. The fuel tank holds 105 litres. For fleet buyers, the new Master has low running costs and a three year or 200,000km warranty.Toyota HiAceSafety also features high for the Toyota HiAce but it can't match the Renault's standard equipment. All HiAce models have two airbags, ABS brakes and brake assist as standard.There are 12 models in the HiAce range, comprising three body styles, two wheelbases, two engines and two transmissions. The bodies are long wheelbase (2570mm), wide-body and high roof "Super-Long'' wheelbase (SLWB) van and the commuter bus (both 3110mm).Drivetrains are a 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol or 2.5-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine. The petrol engine has hardened valves and valve seats to allow for LPG operation while the SLWB diesel models get an air to air intercooler. Both engines can be mated to a five-speed overdrive manual or electronically controlled four-speed overdrive automatic transmission.Toyota last upgraded the HiAce - which was launched in its current form in 2005 - in 2010 with a taller final drive ratio to suit an increase in output of the diesel engine to 100kW/300Nm. It claims fuel economy improvements of 7 per cent, now 8 L/100km for the LWB diesel.The HiAce LWB has 6cu.m of cargo space and the SLWB model has 9.8cu.m of space. Cargo height is 1335mm for LWB and 1635mm for the SLWB van and widths are 1545mm and 1730mm respectively.Hyundai iLoadThe Hyundai iLoad is a refined and well-built worker with two models - van and crew van - and two engines. The crew van adds an extra row of seats, making it a six-seater van that still has a huge cargo area.All models have a four-star crash rating, dual front airbags, ABS brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution while the diesel models can be optioned with electronic stability control and traction control.Hyundai offers two engines - a 129kW/228Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol and the more prefered 125kW/392Nm 2.5-litre turbo-diesel. The petrol comes only with a manual gearbox but the diesel has the option of a five-speed auto.Hyundai claims the petrol gets 10.5 L/100km and the diesel returns 8.5 L/100km with the manual gearbox and 9.6 L/100km with the auto. In standard form the iLoad has handy sliding doors on each side and a lift-up tailgate but there is an option of barn doors for forklift loading.Despite its modest exterior size, the iLoad's space is cavernous. The van will take up to 5.3cu m of cargo and a payload of 1100kg.

Renault is looking to launch its Kangoo ZE - an all-electric version of its Kangoo small-class van - here.The French company, which is poised to debut its Fluence ZE sedan in the next few months, said the Kangoo ZE (for zero emissions) is an eco-friendly model that will match the running costs of the existing petrol-engined version.One of the vehicle's advantages is the reduced maintenance cost, with estimated savings of 20 per cent. These savings come from dispensing with oil changes, timing belts, air filters or fuel filters.Running costs are also cut by a dramatic reduction in fuel bills, with the actual cost per km dependent on electricity prices in various areas. Renault is coy about the price of the van when it gets here but, based on the European price, could be about $27,000. However, Renault leases the batteries in its all-electric vehicles which may have a cost of $100 a month. The Kangoo ZE has a 44kW/226Nm electric motor under the bonnet and a 22kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the floor just behind the front seats. Renault said the van has a range of 170km and the rechanging time is four hours or, via a fast charger station, one hour will give a 20km range. The payload is 650kg and the load volume ranges from 3cu.m to 3.5cu.m. Renault says the recharging time, using a wall-mounted Renault charger, is between six and eight hours. 

  

It's handy having a light commercial vehicle at your disposal - there's always something to dispatch from here to there and all the better if it's a van - for security and safety.PRICEEven a small one like the Renault Kangoo has plenty of appeal and is extremely affordable at $24,490. Hugely popular in Europe. the diminutive cargo box with a cab is designed for work, has a cute disposition and quite a few competitors as well.TEMPTERSBut Renault offers a few tempters that are hard to ignore like a five year warranty, low interest finance (at 3.9 per cent spotted recently) and occasionally, free service for three years though that one hasn't been around for a while. Jag all three and you are looking at an extreme value van to buy and run that will take a surprisingly hefty 800kg payload.REPUTATIONAnd going on its reputation, you can't kill a Kangoo with a stick. They just keep on going. We snaffled a diesel Kangoo and immediately put it to work carting half a tonne of pavers and some tools from the landscape suppliers.ENGINEIt was like water off a ducks back to the Kangoo which runs a 1.5-litre, single cam, turbo diesel, four cylinder donk good for 63kW/200Nm. More importantly, fuel economy hovers around the 5.5-litres/100km mark with the combined cycle officially rated at 5.2. The diesel comes with a five- speed manual only. If you want an auto it has to be the 1.5-litre petrol. Why would you bother, the diesel is too good to pass-up.PERFORMANCEIt has decent performance, especially once you get into second cog. First is short and designed to get a heavily laden Kangoo cleanly off the mark.GOODIESKangoo weighs 1277kg and has plenty of work truck features. Central locking is a given, the rubber load area floor mat is handy as are tie down lugs in the floor and on the sides. The rear barn doors open 180 degrees and the left hand side slider further aids accessibility. You can option an additional right slider. It gets Bluetooth, cruise control and a/c, power windows, a trip computer and plenty of cabin storage. Not a bad working environment.