I passed my driving test in 1991, in a third-generation Ford Fiesta; steel wheels. four-speed ‘box, no power steering. It was dark blue, I think it was a three-door. Everyone drove hatchbacks back then, Fiesta, Polos, Civics, Saxos, 205s, 309s, Novas, Micras… And since that sunny March morning in Shrewsbury when freedom finally arrived in the shape of an A4–sized pass certificate, I’ve driven, not to mention owned, significantly more than my fair share of hatchbacks too.
At around the same time as I was mastering Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre, Renault were launching their Clio. The Clio went on to become one of Europe's consistently top-selling cars – it is in fact France’s best-selling car, ever, and it’s is also largely credited with restoring Renault's reputation and stature after they endured a difficult second half of the 1980s. Only two cars have been voted European Car of the Year twice. Volkswagen’s Golf was one of them – surely the hatchback benchmark. The other double winner was the Clio, it took the title in 1991 and 2006.
Now we all drive cross-overs and urban SUVs, (whatever they may be) the humble hatchback seems to have become a little bit forgotten. But after having spent last week in the company of Renault’s latest Clio, I’m here to argue to that shouldn’t be the case.
Now in its fifth generation, and having also been given a mid-term facelift in late 2023, the Clio still proves itself to be a very likeable, and instantly recognisable, little car.
Standard equipment includes Satellite navigation, DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity and rear parking sensors, ISOFIX front and rear, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay preparation. Should your budget stretch to such things, higher specced Clios come with a 9.3 inch touchscreen, whereas the more affordable Evolution level Clio (such as the one Renault loaned me) came with a more modest 7 inch unit which nevertheless still feels perfectly user friendly. Larger rear seat passengers may complain there’s a lack of legroom, but the trade-off is the Clio gets a usefully sized boot. Alas, there’s no spare wheel – a particular bugbear for this particular Clio conducteur – and there’s also quite a high loading-lip, but the Clio will swallow the weekly big-shop or boulangerie haul with ease.
New LED head and tail lamps, funky alloy wheels, and new Renault logos aside, it’s on the inside where the Clio impresses most. . By using what space they had both very carefully and very cleverly, and utilising a range of far nicer, higher quality materials, most of which are now bio-sourced and recycled, the Clio’s interior is, well, a just a nice place to spend some time. Forget any cliché’s about French cars feeling flimsy, there’s a real sense of solidity in the way the Clio feels screwed together.
The seats are comfy, if perhaps a tad flat for my tastes; the dashboard is beautifully clear – although, I’ll admit I preferred the analogue dials of the previous dash to the digital display of the new one. (Where’s the rev-counter Renault?); the switches – real ones (Hoorah!) for both heating and radio – move with a nicely damped precision; and, all of the important touch points are either leather-bound or knurled aluminium. By comparison, a lot of the Clio’s competitor’s interiors feel a tad low-rent. You even get a proper handbrake lever and a six-speed manual gearbox. C’est formidable!
Two powertrains are available in the Clio; the pure-petrol TCe 90 as driven here, or the E-Tech hybrid, which inevitably, is a lot more complicated.
If it were me, I’d keep things simple. Granted, a 99bhp French supermini is no-longer something that can be considered either cutting edge, or even remotely a hot-hatch. That said, there is more than enough oomph for day-to-day driving, a useful slug of torque available above 2,000rpm, and thanks to the now near noise free cabin, the turbocharged 3-pot Clio doesn’t feel outclassed on the motorway. All of the controls are light and direct, and although perhaps not exactly what you could call exciting, there’s a very pleasing and precise, quality to the way the Clio rides and drives. And try as you might, you’ll never see less than 50mpg.
The Clio feels all grown-up; chic, sophisticated, and yet still very easy to live with. It also offers a refreshing change, a relief you night say, in a world of electric this and hybrid that, from a new generation of vehicles that seem to offer technology purely for the sake of it.
Do I sound old? One thing’s for sure: The Clio has clearly aged far better than I have!
Renault Clio Evolution TCe 100
Engine: 999 cc 3Cyl 12V turbocharged petrol
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front wheel drive.
Power: 99 bhp @ 5,000 rpm
Torque: 118 lbft @ 3,750 rpm
0-62 MPH: 12.2 Sec
Max Speed: 112 mph
CO2: 118 g/km
MPG: 54.3 WLTP
Price: From £18,095 (as driven £18,795)
Many thanks to Archie at RENAULT’S UK press office for the loan of the Clio
@bird_liam
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