Vehicle details
The Renault Clio is a five-door supermini that's been a household name in the UK since the early 1990s (you may remember the advertising featuring Nicole and Papa), competing for sales with a wide variety of very competent rivals. It's certainly popular, with more than a million of them finding homes in the UK since it was introduced, and this is the fourth-generation model boasting stylish looks, economical turbocharged TCe petrol and dCi diesel engines, a practical interior and a good drive. With three-door cars falling out of favour with buyers, Renault made the decision to make this Clio five-door only, but has cleverly disguised the rear door handles so it looks like a sleeker model when viewed side-on. Putting the door handle in the rear pillar does dramatically reduce rear visibility though. But are all these stylish features, economical engines and a spacious interior enough to see off its rivals? It has got plenty to defeat, including the Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 208, Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo, SEAT Ibiza and Skoda Fabia. Not to mention less-common models like the Citroen C3, Hyundai i20 and Mazda 2.The Clio couldn't be anything other than a Renault, featuring a look that's similar to every other car in the range, with similarly sharp lights to the Kadjar crossover and a dashboard similar to the one in the Captur. Having a five-door body is more practical, while the car sits lower and wider than the version it replaced, which contributes to a lower centre of gravity and makes the car feel more grown up and safe on the road. When it was introduced however, Renault injected a little fun into the car, with various bright colour options and customisation packs to personalise the Clio – including a selection of door mirror caps, grille bars, rear panel skirts, lower door protectors and wheel finishes, as well as a choice of roof graphics. To create a more bespoke interior, there was a menu of options regarding the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel, grab handles, gear lever surround, air vent bezels, upholstery materials and optional floor mats. However, this has now been consolidated into just a few options that come in much more muted tones – a sign that people don't necessarily want all these wacky features. Avoiding crazy colours should help make the car more desirable to the dealer if you hand it back at the end of the finance contract, and easier to sell on if you buy it outright.
Vehicle features
- 12V Accessory socket
- 2 cupholders
- 3 point seatbelts on all rear seats
- 3 rear height adjustable headrests
- 60/40 split rear seats
- ABS+EBD+Brake assist
- Air recirculation control
- Anti-drill door locks
- Auto climate control
- Automatic headlights + automatic windscreen wipers
- Black gloss door mirror housings
- Black headlamp surrounds
- Black interior trim
- Black rear diffuser
- Bluetooth + USB
- Body coloured bumpers
- Body coloured door handles
- Body coloured rear spoiler
- Child lock control of rear doors and windows
- Chrome gear knob insert
- Chrome interior door handles
- Chrome strip on lower grille
- Chrome surround for front fog lights
- Chrome window surround
- Cruise control + speed limiter
- Curtain airbags
- Deadlocking system
- Design cloth upholstery
- Driver's seat height adjustment
- Driver/Front Passenger airbags
- Driver/front passenger side airbags
- Electric adjustable door mirrors
- Electric folding door mirrors
- Electric front windows + one touch + anti-pinch
- Electric rear windows
- ESP + Traction contro