There are many expressions in the English language to describe the passing – or lack thereof – of time and, pretty much all of them, except for ageing, has relevance only to the subject matter at that . . . well, time.
Still, it does not feel like more than 30 years have passed since the Renault Clio made its European debut – an event missed here and not corrected until the birth of the second generation in 2000.
Clio II
Now we are talking Clio V.
The Clio was also an early proponent of the small engine, big power school of thought – forming part of the global search for lower emissions and improved fuel efficiency – and this latest generation continues with that, the 999cc three-cylinder engine still doing duty upfront.
Naturally, with each generation, the Clio has evolved in looks and the current version also pays homage to the modern car buyer whose primary concern is the speed of the wif-fi download as opposed to the actual performance of the car on the road.
Trust me, with Clio V both have been taken care of.
Renault has been quite careful with the new Clio and has added to, rather than changed, the attributes of the previous generation – for example, from Clio I it retains technologies previously available only in higher segment cars, from Clio II it keeps the cabin comfort, from Clio III the improved dimensions and from Clio IV the design that kicked off changes to the entire Renault range.
The car is larger but that does not come with a compromise in performance and the 1,0-litre turbo engine generates 74 kW at 5 000 r/min with peak torque of 160 Nm coming in at 2 750 r/min, propelling it from rest to 100 km/h in 11,9 seconds and on to a top speed of 184 km/h.
It does, however, utilise an entirely new engine and both power and torque are increased versus Clio IV.
CO2 emissions are 132 g/km and overall average fuel consumption on my test cycle came in at 6,0 l/100 km, not far off Renault’s claim of 5,7 l/100 km.
Even though the engine does sound a tad like a sewing machine at full chat in a sweat factory, it is responsive and willing to work. Driving through a 5-speed manual gearbox, the light action means easy shifting in and around the city but revels in racing fast action for the more adventurous doing some foot-flat motoring.
Riding on 195/55 R16 tyres, the Clio remains well-poised and settled when pressed through the twisty bits, the 963 kilograms weight responsive to steering inputs and translating those accurately on the road.
Helping to keep it safely on that road is a broad range of standard features including Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Renault LED Pure Vision Headlights, Parking Sensors (Front and Rear), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), combined with Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).
It has front and side crash bags, a pressure sensor to detect impact, seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters in the front and rear side seats, seat belt reminder warning with detection, whiplash headrests and ISOFIX seat anchors.
Wireless charging is a nice touch at this price point
Inside, the Clio features a customisable 7-inch TFT digital cluster, Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) and a 9,3-inch Easy Link multimedia touchscreen integrated with the Renault CONNECT universe. The EASY LINK system, compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, allows for easy access to all multimedia content on a mobile device.
The Clio range comes with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. Services take place at 15 000km intervals and a standard 2-year/30 000 km service plan applies.
Specs:
Price
| R349,900.00
|
Engine
| 3-cylinder turbo
|
Power
| 74kW
|
Torque
| 160Nm
|
Gearbox
| Manual 5-speed
|
Driven Wheels
| Front
|
0-100kph
| 11,9 seconds
|
Top Speed
| 184 km/h
|
Average Fuel Consumption
| 6,0 l/100 km
|
CO2 Emissions
| 132 g/km
|
