The Renault Clio is impressive in small hatchback class

The Renault Clio is a hot cake

The French brand is an exceptional one due to its simplicity, reliability and practicality. Though getting aged but its popularity graph is still high among small hatchback class. It’s comparatively good, is wide and has spacious interior with economical engines that offer a good driving experience too its users.

The interior of Renault Clio is simple but a reasonable one

The edge that Renault Clio has on its rivals is of its good, simple and reasonable interior that is not fussy at all and the manufacturer seems not in the try to impress the audience by pouring lot of equipment, systems and controls in its small interior.

The Clio offers a good driving experience with noise free interior. The material is of good standard and well knitted. The plastic material along with metal touches gives the interior a classy look. The steering is of good weight gives good handling and accurate driving experience.

The power train of Renault Clio is good enough to support this hatchback

There are good and efficient petrol and frugal diesel engines for Renault Clio. Though not with extra and gigantic power, but reasonable in response and offer smooth driving experience.

Renault Clio is not a big hatchback so its engine range is rightly compatible with its smaller body design and built. All engines produce fluent and smooth power rather than bombastic sprint with extra brisk and speed.

Renault Clio enjoys a good variety of diesel engine

The diesel engine range of this hatchback starts with 1.5 litre dCi unit. It is capable of 88bhp and 162lb/ft torque. It is a four-cylinder and eight-valve engine, perfect match with Renault Clio’s small built.

It takes 11.6 seconds to get from 0-62m/h with top speed of 112m/h. It offers massive fuel average of 85m/g with just 85g/km of CO2 emissions. It is fitted with five-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive unit as standard.

The 1.5 litre dCi unit with 110bhp version

The other diesel engine for Renault Clio is of 110bhp and 192lb/ft torque. It is available in six-speed manual gearbox rather than five-speed gearbox and front-wheel drive system as standard.

It is also a four-cylinder and eight-valve engine and takes 10.8 seconds to get from 0-62m/h with top speed of 121m/h. The fuel average is efficient one with 80m/g and CO2 emissions are 90g/km.

The petrol engine lineup has more option than the diesel engines

The petrol engine lineup starts with 1.2 litre unit that is of just 73bhp and 79lb/ft torque. The interesting thing of this engine is it’s built. It is four-cylinder and sixteen-valve engine rather than eight as we find in all diesels and takes 14.0 seconds to reach from 0-62m/h with top speed of 104m/h.

The fuel average is also not good as we have in diesels. It gives 51m/g of fuel average with 127g/km of CO2 emissions and is equipped with five-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive system.

The 1.2 litre with 118bhp version

The other petrol version in 1.2 litre TCE is of 118bhp and 140lb/ft torque. It is quite responsive in speed due to six-speed EDC automatic gearbox assembly and takes 9.6 seconds to get from 0-62m/h with top speed of 121m/h. The fuel average of this version is also impressive with 54m/g and emissions are 120g/km. It is fitted with front-wheel drive system as standard.

The 1.0-litre petrol engine with 88bhp version

This is a 1.0litre TCE petrol engine capable of 88bhp and 100lb/ft torque. It is three-cylinder and twelve valve engine and takes 11.8 seconds for 0-62m/h sprint with top speed of 113m/h. Renault Clio is quite feasible with this tiny unit. It offers excellent fuel average of 62m/g with 104g/km of CO2 emissions and the strange version is fitted with five-speed gearbox and front-wheel drive assembly.

The 1.6 litre TCE petrol engine with 197bhp

The Renault Clio is available with powerful petrol engines also as we have its 197bhp and 192lb/ft torque version which is fast enough to take this small hatchback from 0-62m/h in 6.5 seconds. The fuel average of this engine is 47m/g with 133g/km of CO2 emissions.

It is fitted with six-speed EDC automatic gear box and front-wheel drive system. The other version available in this 1.6-litre petrol engine is of 216bhp and 192 lb/ft torque. It is used in Renault Clio Sport Trophy model.

It takes 6.3 seconds to get from 0-62m/h. The fuel average of this engine is 47m/g and CO2 emissions are 135g/km. It is also fitted with six-speed EDC automatic transmission and front-wheel drive unit.

Safety and reliability

In my own opinion the Renault Clio is the safest car in small hatchback category. The French automaker has used standard safety features in its vehicle such as six airbags with extra head protection accessories.

The Renault Clio is smart enough with hill start assist system, traction control and emergency braking system. Some of its models are with day-running LED lights. There is no blind spot warning system and Clio is not equipped with latest safety features as lane departure warning system and driver alert system etc.

The Renault Clio has parking sensors and reverse camera along with LED headlights and tail lights. The Clio has secured five stars in stability control from Euro NCAP.  The design is enough solid and gives good road grip and stability in awkward situations.

Practicality and Boot Space

The Renault Clio is a small hatchback with good practical approach. It offer nice interior with reasonable space. Though it offers not a luxury standard of servings for its occupants, but within this size it is quite affordable.

The leg and head space at front is good but at rear the situation is just acceptable.  The seats are of good material. The dashboard is with standard equipments and practical with simple systems. The boot space is good enough anyhow Clio offers 300-litres of boot space as standard. The rear seats can be folded in 60:40 ratios and you can enjoy 1150-litres of storage capacity.

Test drive a new or used Renault Clio and experience for yourself why it is such a favourite. Simply visit Group 1 Renault online here to request a test drive.

Article source: https://www.enginetrust.co.uk/blog/renault-clio-good-choice-live/

Renault Clio RS 18 F1: A mighty midget

Dynamite comes in small packages – and the Clio RS 18 F1 is a good case in point. What started out as a humble runabout has been transformed into a fiery hatch with very real performance credentials. But is its talent set broad enough to allow for everyday motoring, too?

Small hatchbacks are a dime a dozen, and they represent a large slice of passenger vehicle sales in South Africa. The reasons aren’t hard to find: they’re relatively affordable and economical, while their compact dimensions make for easy road manners.

The Renault Clio is a typical example, but it confidently exudes a welcome individuality that’s often sorely lacking in mainstream hatchback designs. Even base model versions look smarter and sexier than the norm.

There’s more to Renault – and the Clio – than mass-market models. The French brand has a long tradition of motorsport success, spanning anything from rallying and one-make racing to Formula One. Renault’s in-house performance division, Renault Sport, ensures that some of that motorsport expertise filters down into its production models under the RS (for Renault Sport) moniker. The Clio RS 18 F1 is one of the most recent additions to the RS stable.

The rather clunky designation is a reference to Renault’s 40-year history of involvement in Formula One, which harks back to 1988. It also happens to be the same nomenclature as the current Renault F1 car campaigned by Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz.

To be honest, the link between the F1 car and this hot-hatch Clio is a little tenuous. The Clio RS 18 F1 has a black-and-yellow colour scheme inspired by the F1 car’s livery. And both cars are powered by 1.6-litre turbo engines. But really, that’s where all similarities end.

In essence, the RS 18 F1 is a limited-edition version of the standard Clio RS220 Trophy. In technical terms, it means the little hatch gets a bespoke four-cylinder turbo engine fettled to deliver a wholesome 162kW of muscle.

Add the 280Nm of torque, factor in a kerb mass of only 1,172kg, and you have a recipe for real get-up-and-go. The gearbox is a six-speed dual-clutch design, feeding the engine’s urge to the front wheels.

What? No manual transmission option? Purists will be disappointed, but dual-clutch gearboxes tend to be more efficient, while those shift paddles do endow gear changes with a racier feel.

Drivetrain apart, the Clio RS rides on a lower, stiffer suspension, while the wheels are gloss-black 18-inch alloys shod with sticky Michelin rubber. Upgraded disc brakes front and rear recognise the need to match stopping power to the Clio’s elevated performance.

The cockpit is racy, too. Black is the dominant hue, with crimson detailing and some aluminium brightwork (including alloy pedals) adding some welcome visual interest.

The heavily bolstered bucket seats feel firm but comfortable, while the thick-rimmed steering wheel neatly frames analogue dials and a digital speedometer. The large shift paddles behind the steering wheel are fixed, by the way, and don’t rotate with the steering wheel.

It may be F1-inspired, but there’s no shortage of creature comforts in the RS 18 F1’s cabin. The centre stack is home to a 7-inch touchscreen that looks after the Clio’s full-house infotainment system.

Apart from Bluetooth-based hands-free telephony and audio streaming, there’s also satnav, FM/AM radio, USB and stereo jackplug connectivity. Add aircon, remote central locking with keyless access, cruise control and heated seats, and the RS ticks most of the nice-to-have boxes.

The problem with performance-focussed road cars like this Clio RS is that they can often end up being compromised from a day-to-day driving perspective.

While it’s fun to head for the hills on an early weekend morning, and to blast the cobwebs away on a quiet country road, most RS owners will also need to commute, fetch and carry kids, and embark on the occasional long-distance holiday trip.

Here’s the good news: the Clio RS might look like a three-door, but it actually has two rear doors, with the door latch cleverly concealed in the C-pillar. Rear seating is less cramped than expected, too, making the little Renault a lot more practical than expected.

At 300 litres, the boot isn’t huge, but it’s useful, and you can always fold the split rear bench seat flat to increase cargo space if necessary. Plus, the Clio is one of the safest hatches in its class, with a five-star Euro-NCAP rating and a raft of active and passive safety features.

So yes, the Clio RS looks like a viable everyday motoring solution from a space, practicality and safety perspective. But there are also some notable compromises.

Hit the start button, and the bespoke Akrapovič exhaust system’s resonant vocals act as an instant reminder that this is a performance car first and foremost. It’s a sound that suits the RS persona, but can be intrusive.

The 1.6-litre turbo engine is a delight, revving to the redline with alacrity, and producing plenty of shove. In absolute terms, 6.6sec for the 0-100km/h sprint is swift rather than race car rapid, but the Clio’s reactions to throttle, brake and steering inputs are certainly incisive, and the line of communication between car and driver is unambiguously direct.

It scorches off the mark with real glee, while in-gear acceleration is equally enthusiastic. The lower, stiffer suspension ensures you know exactly what the Clio is doing, and despite its electric assistance, the steering feels reasonably communicative.

This is a car that loves attacking sweeps and bends, curves and corners, fast or slow, wide or narrow. It slices through mountain passes with surgical precision, while maintaining exceptional levels of composure and control.

It’s not so much about driving fast in the Clio RS as it is about exploring the car’s agility and wieldiness. No matter how sinuously treacherous the ribbon of tar being negotiated is, the Clio sticks to the chosen line with thrilling tenacity.

At this point, it’s worth mentioning that the RS 18 F1 has three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Race.

Normal is meant to be for day-to-day use, and softens the hatchback’s reactions. Sport should be the default setting, ensuring crisp throttle response, a heftier helm, and snappier gear changes.

Opt for Race mode, and you can use launch control to propel the Clio off the line with optimum alacrity, while the stability control’s electronic safety net is cast a little wider, allowing more slip and drift (ie more fun) before it intervenes.

The EDC gearbox is at its best in Sport mode, delivering the quick and precise shifts you’d expect of a performance car. Using the shift paddles is a must though, adding further driver engagement and driving enjoyment.

In the normal setting, the gearbox can be a little hesitant, however, especially in the lower three gears. Opting for full auto mode is useful in stop/start traffic, but the Clio never feels completely at ease in those conditions, and assuming manual control remains the better option.

Compared to a bread-and-butter Clio, the taut suspension and low-profile tyres definitely compromise ride refinement. And at highway speeds, there’s a lot more road and engine noise to contend with.

That said, I’d be disappointed if that wasn’t the case: you want this car to look, to sound, to feel the RS part.

The collectability of the RS 18 F1 version, and its unique livery, are also significant drawcards. And on a purely practical level, the Clio can go about its commuting business as competently as any average Clio.

Best of all, the Clio RS driver is likely to have more day-to-day driving fun than owners of exotics or hugely powerful muscle machines. Those cars have to be driven at levels beyond the scope of normal road conditions to be fully appreciated.

The Clio RS can be flung about at far more pedestrian speeds, and still be enjoyed to the full. It offers a lot of entertainment value, even in day-to-day driving.

Add five-door practicality, five-star safety and reasonable running costs, and suddenly, the Clio RS 18 F1 makes a lot of sense –if you’re a petrolhead with an appetite for adrenalin, that is.

The Clio RS is a lot of driving fun in a surprisingly practical package. Test drive the Renault Clio RS at your nearest Group 1 Renault dealership.

VITAL STATS

Engine	In-line four cylinder, 1,618cc, turbo
Power	162kW @ 6,050rpm
Torque	280Nm @ 2,000rpm
Power-to-weight ratio	138.2 kW/ton
Gearbox	Six-speed EDC dual-clutch, FWD
Wheels/tyres	18-inch alloy, 205/40 R18 tyres
0-100 km/h	6.6sec
Top speed	235km/h
Fuel tank capacity	45 litres
Fuel consumption (claimed/tested)	5.9 / 7.9 litres/100km
Operating range (claimed/tested)	762 / 570km
CO2 emissions	135g/km

Article source: https://wheelwonderings.postach.io/post/renault-clio-rs-18-f1-a-mighty-midget

Is a Renault Clio a good first car for new drivers?

Buying your first car can be a confusing and an intimidating process. According to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), last year a total of 131,356 new passenger cars were sold in Ireland, and we guess that quite a few were purchased by first-time drivers. Since you have a variety of models and styles to choose from, motor dealerships are always trying to match people with the perfect new car. One of our favorites for first-time car buyers is the all-new 2018 Renault Clio. Let's take a closer look at why this intriguing and innovative vehicle is a great way to start a lifetime of driving fun.

Affordable and Versatile

A first car needs to be both affordable and versatile. The 2018 Renault Clio is available in three trim levels, petrol and diesel powered. On top of this, you also get a choice of both a five and six-speed manual and dCi 90 six-speed automatic transmissions as well a combined fuel consumption rating as low as 3.2 L/100km. It's important to note that this compact hatchback is also quite roomy with a 300L boot and 60/40 split-fold rear seat bench.

Power and Performance

If you go with a Renault Clio, you can be sure that your first car won't be underpowered. This sporty hatchback comes with a selection of petrol and diesel engines that include:

• 1.2 16v 75 engine that puts out 54kw of power and 107 Nm maximum torque
• Energy TCe90 engine that produces 66 km of power and up to 150 Nm maximum torque
• Energy dCi90 engine with a maximum torque of 220 Nm and 60 km of power
• Energy dCi 110 engine that produces 260 Nm of torque and a CO2 g/km of 90

If you equip the Renault Clio with the Eco driving system it will analyze your driving style allow you to reduce your fuel consumption even further. If a smooth ride is important for your first car, the 2018 Renault Clio offers power assisted steering, a max speed of 194 kph, MacPherson type front suspension, and torsion beam rear suspension with programmed deflection.

Safety

Everyone in your life can have confidence in the safety of the 2018 Renault Clio. Some of the most exciting safety features available for this car include:

• ABS + Active Emergency Braking
• Electronic Stability Program
• Driver and passenger front, side, head, and thorax airbags
• Tyre Pressure Warning Light
• ISOFIX child seat fixing points

Technology and Comfort

Perhaps one of the best reasons to make the Renault Clio your first car, is its innovative technology and practical comfort. Depending on the trim level you can stay connected with the world of thanks to the Renault MediaNav system that includes a seven-inch touch screen, 4x20W FM/AM/DAB radio, and Navteq Satellite Navigation system. For your comfort, there is automatic climate control and the Horizon Pack that features a panoramic sunroof, extra tinted windows, and tailgate.

Take a Test Drive

To book a test-drive of the Renault Clio, all you need to do is contact and visit a Group 1 Renault dealership today. While you're there - ask about any of our other new and used Renault Clios to find the perfect fit for you or a family member.




Article source: https://devotedtorenaultautomobiles.weebly.com/blog/is-a-renault-clio-a-good-first-car-for-new-drivers