Renault Clio: Number six is sexy
As pretty as an Italian, as technically sophisticated as a German and yet as charming as a true Frenchman: the new Renault Clio is particularly good on the road as a hybrid.
The boss put his foot down: «Build the hottest Clio ever» was Luca de Meo's brief to the Renault developers. In the meantime, de Meo may no longer be with the French company, but he has launched all the successful innovations of recent times - including the sixth Clio edition, which is now on its way. It has big shoes to fill: the Clio, which has been built over 17 million times since 1990, is Europe's absolute small car bestseller.
Clio number six completes the brand's small car quartet: the practical R4 and the cool R5 drive with retro style and electricity, the small SUV Captur and now the new Clio with modernity and fuel. Just a year ago, we would have been surprised to see a new city dwarf without an electric version. But because budget customers and lamppost parkers want to stick with fuel and the EU is postponing its ban on combustion engines, the two-pillar strategy is now proving to be ideal.
Chic like a southerner
Was it thanks to the Italian de Meo that the Clio now looks almost Italian chic? A resolute LED look at the front, a sharp rear end - not crazy, but cool. Inside, there is little spectacle, but plenty of quality. There is a little more space than before - after all, the Clio has grown by seven centimeters to 4.12 meters in length. However, it remains cramped in the back - just like a small car. We sit well, but we'd rather not go on vacation like this.
There's nothing to complain about in the front. The seats are perfect. The large titanium-look trim strip praised by Renault seems rather cheap to us personally. It doesn't matter, because there are lots of attractive details that are good to touch and the quality is top notch. We like the cockpit landscape with two screens. Great: no operating puzzles despite digitalization, because the touchscreen offers simple menus and there are buttons for the air conditioning, for example. The infotainment offers Google features such as Maps and Play, 100 apps are waiting to be downloaded, 29 assistance systems (adaptive cruise control as standard!) keep watch - and can otherwise, thank you, simply be deactivated.
An adult full hybrid
The Clio is available in : Petrol 115 TCe (1.2-liter with 84 kW/115 hp, WLTP 5.0 l/100 km) with manual or automatic transmission. And petrol hybrid (Full Hybrid E-Tech 16) with 1.8-liter engine and 116 kW/160 hp. Claudia Meyer, Managing Director Renault Switzerland, expects 80 percent hybrid. Off to the test drive. The hybrid is not a mild hybrid with electric assistance, but a full hybrid - and we can feel it: Surprisingly often we even drive out of town purely electrically. Overall, the drive makes a great impression. The Clio is very quick and very smooth, especially electrically, the petrol engine shifts smoothly, and the rather long pauses between gear changes are never annoying because the automatic gear changes are so smooth and harmonious. At most, the hybrid sometimes feels strained on the highway, but never overwhelmed. And: Yes, the hybrid is worth it! Renault says: 3.9 l/100 km. During the test drive, we achieved 4.1 l/100 km according to the display, which is quite something for a 160 hp petrol engine!
In terms of chassis, the Clio offers what a potential bestseller needs to offer: It covers the whole spectrum and is a lot of fun without going to extremes or being painful. The steering is not overly sharp, but precise, the suspension is never uncomfortable even with the 18-inch wheels we drove (standard 16-inch) and is always ready for a fast corner. The Smart driving mode, which automatically switches between the driving modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport) depending on the situation, is a good solution. Most of the time this works perfectly. Exception: we are cruising at a relaxed pace, but want to shred a few bends - then it takes a moment too long for the Clio to shift out of gear. Bad? No, rather a minor criticism of a car that otherwise doesn't allow itself any major mistakes.
Fair price-performance level
That leaves the question of price. The Clio TCe 115 is available from 19,900 (automatic 23,500) francs and as an E-Tech 160 (full hybrid) from 26,500 francs. In the best equipment line, the price is 29,900 francs, which can be increased by a maximum of around two and a half thousand francs with options such as heated seats and steering wheel, 360-degree camera or metallic paint. Sounds very fair.
The Autosprint conclusion is therefore quite clear: there is no question that the Clio will make its way again in the new sixth generation in the tough competition with models such as the VW Polo and Co. It looks good, drives well, saves money - and fits well into the budget.
