Renault Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Renault Megane, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The Renault Clio RS is one of the Carsguide favourites of 2014, packed with driving enjoyment and French character.But what about the regulation Clio, the one that's not for hot-hatch fans? It's right on the money in the tiddler class at $16,790, although that only gets you a three-cylinder engine that's better for economy than romping.So I slide into a Clio the way most people will buy it, the Expression TCe 120 with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine and EDC auto gearbox for a price tag of $20,990 before the inevitable on-roads. And I like it.DESIGNIt's always easy to pick a French car out of a pack of Japanese and Korean commuters and the Clio maintains its place with a distinctive body and a prominent family face. Inside, there is good room for the class, quality seats and the rest of the comfort package you expect when you're paying similar money to the starter cars - think Corolla and Pulsar - in the next size category.SAFETYSome of the Carsguide crew are still not happy without rear airbags in the car, even though the Clio gets a five-star ANCAP rating, but that's a story for another day. And a visit to the Renault safety centre outside Paris.DRIVINGThis Clio also has the EDC six-speed dual-clutch auto that's enjoyable to use as a manual, thanks to a shift pattern that means you push forward - race style - for downshifts, and the engine is strong enough for the job.My partner, Ali, does not agree and says the Clio needs more go. She says she spends too much time with her foot on the floor, admittedly in full auto mode, to get the car going the way she wants. She also votes against the seats, although I like them a lot because they are well shaped and cushioned for me. And definitely way better than the flat-bench feel of the Honda Jazz I've also driven this week.Before we move on, it's time to claim a little Carsguide credit on the Clio. When I first saw the new Clio, nearly two years ago at the Paris motor show, I complained that there was no way I could get a good grip to pull the hatch down. It's something I've always checked since a good mate, Peter Tighe, struggled with the back door on a Toyota LandCruiser. He was short and afterwards I always believed cars should have a 'Tighe-down" handle.Now Renault has reshaped the grips in the back of the Clio and it's far easier to pull the hatch down. "We call it the Gover Grip," says Renault Australia boss Justin Hocevar.

If you don't have the bucks for a Renault Clio RS then you might like to opt for the GT - a slightly cheaper look-a-like but with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol four cylinder engine instead of the much more powerful 1.6 in the RS. The range topping GT Premium driven goes for $28,790, about $500 under the kick off point for the Clio RS. But not everyone wants that level of performance and handling so the GT has plenty of alternative appeal.It looks like the RS in passing especially around the nose and the rear end with body aero add-ons and a twin pipe exhaust.VALUEThis is in addition to 17-inch alloys, body coloured exterior mouldings and hardware, and a striking new blue colour choice. Inside is just as sporty looking as the outside with sporty seats and wheel, paddle shift (all GTs get a six speed dual clutch EDC transmission), Arkamys audio with Bluetooth phone and streaming.Driver assist stuff includes, hill start, auto headlights and wipers, rear park sensors, rear view camera, cruise control, smart key with button start and other goodies. The funky instrument pod features a large digital readout and in the Premium drive car, Renault's handy R-Link system with big tablet style info screen and two drive modes - Normal and Sport that alter gearbox and throttle.DESIGNThe Clio is a five door hatch with concealed rear door handles. It has a decent load space and plenty of interior room despite being categorised in the light car segment. It's possibly the biggest car in the light segment - and one of the best.Power comes from a 1.2-litre, direct injection, four cylinder that achieves 88kW/190Nm output and gets 5.2 litres/100km combined on 95 octane. This newly developed engine scores an EU5 emissions rating. Ride is by a MacPherson strut front and simple torsion beam rear and,get this, the rear brakes are drums. What tha...DRIVINGOn the road the GT is a sweet thing offering a sporty feel and plenty of comfort from the chassis/suspension. It has impressive cornering capability and direct steering. The brakes are good but that may not be the case if you push hard on a winding road with those rear drums.The engine is OK, not the most potent thing in the class and remember, you can get into Ford's Fiesta RS hot rod for a lot less than this though, to be fair, it is a three door. Some baulkiness came from the dual clutch manumatic but it's great on the move, snick, snick snick through the gears.Put it this way, the chassis of the GT could cope with a lot more than the achieved power and torque from the turbo 1.2. But it is a willing little donk spinning out freely and when you work the right foot  - the available performance is liveable. Doesn't match the looks though. Which is what this car is all about - the look.It's the Clayton's Clio RS, great little city run around, five doors, striking looks - not much under the right foot.

James Stanford road tests and reviews the Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew van, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Renault's Clio keeps breeding. Initially launching with either a manual-only three cylinder base model or a range of six-speed EDC 1.2-litre turbos, the range has since expanded twice. Late last year was the excellent Clio RenaultSport 200 and now, in what must be the final shot, comes the Renault Clio GT.The GT is meant to be a halfway house between the standard 1.2 Clio's ride and handling package and the harder-core RS. It also has a more generous spec level than the other four cylinder offerings and with the price to match.STYLINGThe GT is set apart from its lesser 1.2 brethren with 17-inch wheels, a lower stance and some stripes and badges. The GT badges actually look pretty cool, almost as cool as the RS badges on the 200.The GT also gets its own bumper design with wide LED strips as daytime running lights, twin chrome-tipped exhaust and satin grey "blades" along the lower half of the doors. There's also a GT-exclusive colour, Malta Blue.The GT Premium replaces the standard rear spoiler with the larger RenaultSport spoiler. It's not a shouty look.Inside is standard Clio, but with the larger screen and therefore a rearranged centre stack. There are a few GT badges scattered around and stitched into the front headrests. The Clio's interior is attractive if a bit tight – the front seats do feel squeezed in between the doors and narrow centre console.VALUEThe GT comes in two flavours – GT and GT Premium. The GT kicks off at $25,290 with the Premium weighing in at $28,790.The base car is well-equipped, similar to the Dynamique specification of non-GTs. Auto headlights, auto wipers, adjustable headlights, rear parkings sensors, keyless entry and start, paddle shifters, climate control, cruise control with speed limiter, bluetooth, USB, power windows all round along a very comfortable pair of GT front seats.The jump to Premium adds satin grey leather trim, a huge section of the roof is replaced with glass with a retractable perforated blind, and the infotainment system is upgraded to the RS-Link, from fast brother Clio RS and even faster cousin, the RenaultSport Megane.SAFETYFive star safety is provided by four airbags, pretensioned front seatbelts, three-point belts for all passengers, two IsoFix points, ABS, brake assist, brake force distribution, stability control and hill start assist.INFOTAINMENTBoth versions sport a 7-inch screen, with the Premium picking up R-Link. Both have Bluetooth, USB and sat-nav. The standard car's four speakers are increased to six in the Premium by way of a pair of tweeters. Sound quality is good and even the bass is rich.The system is quite useable but it's easy to get lost. It has an Android-style tiled interface and some swooshy animations and in the seven Clios we've driven has never once done anything unexplained.The Premium has the amusingly novel R-Sound that, like a Fiesta ST, can pipe in engine noises. Except you have a choice of, say, a 1970s motorbike, a Nissan GT-R (!), an old Alpine or a Jetson's like spacecraft. It's amusing twice, but kids love it.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONAs with the bulk of the Clio range, the GT comes with the 1.2-litre 120 TCE engine. With direct injection and a single turbo it develops 88 kW (or 120 hp, as the name suggests) and 190 Nm of torque. The figures don't seem particularly promising for a warm hatch, but more of that later.This tiny engine is mated to Renault's EDC dual-clutch transmission. It's a six-speed but, sadly, has no stop/start. Renault claims a 0-100 km/h time of 9.4 seconds and a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.2 L/100km.DRIVINGThere are two things that set every Clio apart from the hordes – they have great steering and a sweet, lively chassis. RenaultSport was drafted in to specify a sportier suspension tune for those of us who like better-than-average-handling (something the standard Clio already dishes up) but can't afford the insurance, fuel and tyre bills of the 141 kW RS.They've done a splendid job. The car retains its incredibly light, agile feel but also its excellent ride quality. While the GT is certainly a bit stiffer, the ride remains very composed and suspension noise is well damped.When you start to push the GT, you can see where the RenaultSport badge is deserved – you can carry a lot more speed into the corners and the rear end is more interested in coming along with you. It has a terrific change of direction, partly down to the well-chosen rack ratio but also that tauter setup.The 1.2-litre engine isn't a disappointment once you're moving, either. The excellent EDC, which just shades the VW DSG, particularly around town, is good at keeping the engine in the torque band. Its 0-100 km/h time really is immaterial – you can dart around the city, squirting in and out of gaps without getting yourself into trouble, riding the torque.It's just fine on the highway (even if lets through a little too much road noise) and is enormous fun down a twisty road. Just like every other Clio. This chassis can handle way more power than even the RS has, so there's plenty in reserve.The clever bit is that some people will buy the GT for the fact that it's got a higher spec-level and they won't be bothered with the better chassis, but nor will it scare them off. It's a great balance.

The Renault Megane RS275 Trophy-R is the world's fastest hatchback, but it doesn't have a radio, air-conditioning or a back seat.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2014 Renault Kangoo.

That 21st century automotive niche, the hot five-door coupe, has a new member in the shape of the Renault Clio GT

A sensuous sculpture that stimulates desire; voluptuous curves that make you want to reach out and caress. It's not a line from a Hollywood romance blockbuster, but a quote from the chap who designed the new Renault Clio.In the case of the just-arrived Clio GT, the object of desire is more of a warm number than a serious hottie, but with the coolest of looks. And a lot of very nice equipment. The GT is an interesting mix. It looks just like the high-performance RS model, but has a cleverly-engineered 1.2-litre turbo motor that's more attuned to economy than performance.PRICE / FEATURESThe GT perched about midway between the three-cylinder Clio and the fiery RS, starting from $25,290 for the standard version and $28,790 for the Premium. Both have the 88kW/190Nm four-pot 1.2 engine which drives the front wheels through a superb EDC six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission from Getrag.The Clio GT also has a chassis specially designed for keener handling, with stiffer springs and dampers than in the standard Clio range and it rides on 17-inch alloys shod with lo-pro Michelin Primacys.Standard gear includes cruise control, rear parking sensors, twin exhausts, tinted glass, keyless entry and start, automatic climate control, auto-on wipers and headlights, Renault's Media nav system with Bluetooth connectivity and RS Drive with Normal and Sport modes. Plus an advanced speaker system. The RS button instantly adjusts the steering, accelerator and transmission settings for a sportier drive. For the extra $3500 the GT Premium adds R-Link entertainment system, reversing camera, a fixed glass sunroof and leather upholstery.DRIVINGWe squirted the Clio GT through the ups, downs and curves of the Great Dividing Range around Victoria's King Lake district, and enjoyed its quick steering and confident road manners. The EDC changes cogs in milliseconds when in RS mode and there's a choice of gearstick or paddleshift. The nicely-bolstered seats gave good support, the steering wheel is fully adjustable, visibility was fine and the car handled road imperfections very well.The direct-injection engine is not the most powerful in its class, but the handling package makes the GT a pretty quick point-to-point machine, and in RS mode, the revs run into outer space. Zero to 100km/h comes up in 9.5 seconds and the top end is good for just on 200km/h. More importantly, fuel consumption is a very impressive 5.2L/100km, with CO2 emissions rated at 120g/km.The voluptuous curves and minute shutlines also give it a dynamic coupe appearance, although it's really a practical five-door hatch with proper adult-sized back seat accommodation. Renault reckons it's got the measure of class rivals like Peugeot 208 Allure, Citroen's DS3, the Fiesta Ecoboost and Suzuki Swift Sport.VERDICTThe Clio GT is quite pricey, but you do get a lot for your money built into a classy, sexy little number with big headlights and other features that make you want to reach out and caress.Renault Clio GTPrice: from $25,290Engine: 1.2-litre turbo petrol, 88kW/190NmTransmission: 6 speed dual clutch auto, FWDThirst: 5.2L/100km

The Renault Master Cab Chassis is half ute, half van. It's a little more nimble than a light truck and yet it's a bit less comfortable than some of the better workhorse utes.