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Flight Centre Specials
Renault Clio: Big for its boots
Jason Woosey - Cars in Action
Posted Wed, 20 Oct 2004
A few years ago, a highly-specified diesel supermini hatchback would have sounded like something out of a science fiction novel. Well maybe not quite that extreme, but definitely something out of the ordinary.
Five years ago when Renault's Clio first landed on local shores, it offered a small no-frills just above entry-level package. But, it took the market by storm, and even notched up a Car of the Year (COTY) win.
Today small cars in this category are leaving nothing to their bigger counterparts, and the game has moved to a new level. There is also a wider range of engines available and, in most cases, a diesel derivative is included.
Now you can't accuse Renault of leaving the Clio to rest on its laurels. It's been given a decent facelift and more standard features have been added, most notably the full complement of safety items — it now has four airbags and ABS brakes across the board.
And now there's a diesel too. It's a 1.5-litre direct commonrail injection unit (hence dCi), similar to that found in the Megane, but with less boost. The Clio claims 48kW of power versus the Megane's 60. That might not sound like much, but consider that it offers both turbo and the diesel advantages, so it's not bogged down by Highveld altitude and it has lots of torque — a healthy 160Nm on tap from just 2000rpm. Your average 1.8-petrol makes about that, often above 4000.
On the road, the Clio defies its modest-sounding power output. It's no Lear Jet, but it cruises very comfortably and doesn't lose its gut on inclines. Against the clock, it ran to 100km/h in a respectable 13.5 seconds, while the 4th gear run from 80 to 120km/h took an impressive 11.5 seconds; proving just how flexible the COTY-winning Megane's little sibling is.
In terms of engine refinement, it's up there with the best of its peers, and there are a lot of them these days.
The Clio dCi fits into a category with the new Fiat Punto 1.3 JTD, the VW Polo 1.4 TDi, the Hyundai Getz 1.5 CRDi and Citroen's C3 1.4 HDi. In this crowd, the Clio has its work cut out, and it's starting to show its age.
Though the Clio's ride and handling dynamics and its performance are still class competitive, it lacks the fresh appeal of some of its newer rivals and feels a little lacking when it comes to space efficiency and size. While rivals such as the Polo and C3 offer a big car feel and surprising interior space, the Clio still seems intent on being a small car. This is especially notable in the rear compartment where there's little leg and headroom and the rear seatback is clearly designed for small kids.
At R135 900, the Clio undercuts the VW Polo significantly, but is a little pricier than its other rivals. It may offer slightly better performance than its 1.2-petrol counterpart, but it costs R36 000 more, so if you want to make your money back through fuel consumption you're really going to have to lay on those miles. Service intervals for this diesel are at 10 000km; not as good as some rivals.
| Fast Impressions | Make | Renault Clio 1.5 dCi Expression |
| Engine | 4-cyl SOHC 8V |
| Capacity | 1 461cc |
| Power | 48kW@4000rpm |
| Torque | 160Nm@2000rpm |
| Specific Power | 33kW per litre |
| Power to weight | 45kW per ton |
| Torque to weight | 150Nm per ton |
| Transmission | FWD/5-speed manual |
| Fuel capacity | 50 litres |
| Acceleration 0-100km/h(c) | 15 seconds |
| 0-100km/h(g) | 13.5 seconds |
| Quarter mile (exit speed)(g) | 19.6 seconds@114km/h |
| 80-120km/h 4th gear (g) | 11.5 seconds |
| 120-160km/h 4th gear (g) | n/a |
| Maximum speed | 162km/h |
| Fuel use overall | 4.3 litres per 100km |
| CIA rating | 7 stars |
| Price | R135 995 |
| g= | Gauteng |
| c= | Claimed |
*Cars in Action only uses BP Cleaner Unleaded petrol or Cleaner Diesel
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