FLORENCE – The Renault Clio, a light hatchback that introduced a new generation of South Africans to La Régie’s automotive products at the end of the last century (see Everyone wants a B on CARmagblog.co.za), is now in its fourth incarnation. On the eve of the Paris Motor Show 2012, a contingent of SA motoring scribes jetted into Italy’s Tuscany region for a day to sample a little car that promises to reintroduce elements of emotional appeal and stylish funkiness to a segment dominated by altogether good-but-anodyne products.
It’s already documented that the new Clio is longer, lower and wider than the model it replaces; it features the new Renault design language that debuted on the Dezir concept car, with a large logo surrounded by a black oval and swept-back headlamps with LED daytime running lights. The flanks show off overt black side boards, integrated rear door handles, faux three-quarter lights and the rear looks pinched by virtue of the smaller screen, side diffusers, an integrated high-mounted spoiler and subtle wave patterns in the dark rear valance.
The newcomer is said to be Renault design chief Laurens van den Acker’s first standalone project and there’s no wont for attention to detail. The application of black- and chrome look trims makes a significant difference to the profile and stance of the Clio. The head and tail lamps sit above strips of black plastic, which help to broaden the nose and shoulders of the car (let’s call it the “eyeliner effect” for extra drama); while chrome streaks in the headlamps, grille, side boards and even the leading edge of the hatch offset the black and silver 16-inch alloys.
As a result, the Clio 4 is significantly more distinctive and characterful than the car it replaces. As can be seen from these images, the newcomer works well in bright colours, which says a lot for the cohesion of the overall design. I like it, but is the Renault’s interior a success story too? Well, yes, for the most part…
Let’s start with the interior layout and finishes. Forget what you thought you knew to be the norm for a dashboard design – the new Clio 4’s facia is shaped like a (black) iPad, complete with chrome look surround. That’s because a choice of two touchscreen infotainment and navigation systems will be offered and if you haven’t ripped all our CDs to MP3 format yet, do so soon because there’s no compact disk reader in the new Clio… just a auxiliary input and USB jack. Beefing up the sound system is a Bass Reflex speaker system that I gave a good workout by blasting the Red Hot Chili Peppers’s landmark Blood Sugar Sex Magic album at full volume during the driving section of the launch (it was just me in the car at the time, don’t fret).
The Clio’s interior would have been a rather sombre space if only adorned with dark plastics and upholstery, piano black inserts and a few chrome-look bits, but the Dynamic spec car I drove had strategically-placed RenaultSport addenda on the vents, door trims and steering wheel to lighten things up. In terms of standard kit there’s cruise control, keyless entry and start, auto lights and wipers, as well as electric windows etc.
Having spent a few thousand kilometres at the wheel of a Fluence test car, I know that to operate the multi-function stalk in a Renault merely requires familiarisation, so no problem there. I appreciate the fact that there is more shoulder-room and even a bit more rear legroom and luggage space in this Clio than the previous one. However, my only criticism of the interior is that the ventilation louvres on the outer reaches of the dashboard as well as those in the middle of the facia feel a bit insubstantial and look rather plain.
As a driver’s car, however, the Clio has returned to form. The steering system is quicker, sharper and more communicative and the five-speed ‘box is slick and precise. In fact, the Renault’s ride is on the compliant side of firm, which will please most buyers, but will they find favour with a 0,9-litre three cylinder?
In the quest to exact similar performance to a traditional 1,4-lire motor but with lower emissions and better fuel efficiency, Renault has adopted turbocharging for its three-pot TCe 90, which itself sounds just as thrummy as one would expect. The company claims the peak toque of 135 N.m is achieved at 2 500 r/min but ninety per cent of the maximum twist is available between 1 650 and 5 000. In practice however, the motor, although not sluggish or one-dimensional in the least, does require a bit of practice to exact the most especially when a few people are on board. Once you’re accustomed to keeping the motor in its boost band however, the 0,9- litre powerpalnt is willing and capable, even though I believe that a combined consumption figure of 4,5 litres per 100 km might be tough to achieve given the natures of this spunky automobile and its young drivers!
So Renault has had the nerve to dismiss the CD player (and seemingly the analogue speedometer) with one fell swoop? Clio 4 reflects noteworthy stylistic and dynamic growth for La Régie in that the newcomer stands out from the crowd and is joy to drive once more. This model will be the first to reach local showrooms early next year and there’s a lot more to come, including a turbocharged 1,2-litre petrol, a dual-clutch transmission, and an RS model, a concept of which will be shown at the Paris Motor Show this year.
Now, for the first time in what must be several years, I genuinely look forward to seeing what’s next for the Clio range. Expect standard service plans of at least 3 years/45 000 km, with final model specification and pricing expected to be confirmed closer to the introduction date in the first quarter of 2013.
