One of the finest superminis arrives as a super-frugal hybrid in a sporty new spec
Why we’re running it: To see if the Clio is the heir apparent to the Ford Fiesta’s ‘default buy’ throne
Month 1 – Specs
Life with a Renault Clio hybrid: Month 1
Welcoming the Clio to the fleet – 20 December 2023
For so many years, the Ford Fiesta was the ‘default’ British car buy. Now that it’s dead and buried, which affordable small hatchback should take its place?
Although the Vauxhall Corsa has since scaled the sales charts, it isn’t fun like the Fiesta was. Likewise Europe’s favourite car, the Peugeot 208.
The Volkswagen Polo? Even the GTI version leaves me cold. Skoda Fabia? Dacia Sandero? Worthy but, like the Corsa, dull. Seat Ibiza? Hyundai i20? They’re strong contenders – as is the Renault Clio.
Despite having been around for decades, the Clio always seems to get a bit forgotten for some reason, despite being, in its 2019-born fifth generation, very talented. It can be great value for money too: Autocar’s editor got an astounding finance deal on his one (see second opinion below).
His entry-level version, priced from £17,795, has an 89bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine – which Renault reintroduced to UK showrooms a few months ago “in order to meet the needs of some customers in a difficult economic climate”. Massive respect for that.
In contrast, my new long-termer has the E-Tech Full Hybrid powertrain, priced from £22,695, which comprises a 1.6-litre four-cylinder atmospheric petrol engine, a 24bhp integrated starter-generator (ISG), a 48bhp electric motor, a small 1.2kWh drive battery and an off-the-wall transmission.
How the DiscoLocoBox (great name!) came to be is a fascinating story that started way back in 2010 with a Renault engineer keeping himself entertained over the Christmas holidays with a load of Lego Technic pieces.
You can read it online by clicking here, but in a nutshell there’s a four-speed gearbox with dog rings instead of synchros and no clutch, so the engine is put into neutral and then rev-matched by the ISG; two gears can be engaged at the same time, one to the engine and one to the motor; and so the E-Tech has 14 modes of powertrain operation.
My initial reaction was “why wouldn’t they just use a CVT like everybody else?”, but apparently this transmission, despite its huge complexity, feels more natural and allows for an engaging drive – while offering advantages of cost, size and versatility to the manufacturer.
I’m told that some of the system’s technology came from Renault’s Alpine Formula 1 team, so I don’t feel quite so embarrassed about the blue As on the fake side vents of my Clio as I did initially.
You see, as part of the Clio’s mid-life facelift, Renault has added a range-topping Esprit Alpine trim level, which also brings Alpine-branded sports seats and unique alloy wheels with blue centrepieces – but no power boost or any dynamic enhancements.
I’ve always felt uneasy about such things: if Renault really wants to make Alpine into “the French Ferrari”, surely sticking its branding willy-nilly on a hybrid Clio or, for goodness sake, an Espace 1sn t the way to build brand equity. I can’t imagine Maranello endorsing a Fiat 600… but then every Mercedes-Benz is an AMG Line and every BMW is an M Sport now, so who knows?
In any case, really like how this facelifted, Alpine-spirited Clio looks. Compact, confident, not over-detailed and with cool new LED lighting patterns at the front. It’s just a shame that it’s finished in dreary Shadow Grey; I definitely would have paid another £100 for the Flame Red, Valencia Orange or especially the Iron Blue.
The interior, I really must say, is fantastic in the context of today. Yes, it has succumbed to the trend of having a large infotainment touchscreen totally dominating the environment, but its unusual portrait orientation leads to less stretching away from the wheel and, crucially, there’s still plenty of physical switchgear.
Underneath the screen is a dial each for the heat, fan speed and air direction, just as it should be, as well as buttons for the heated seats, EV mode and driving mode selection. Then over to my right is an absolute treat: not just buttons for the heated steering wheel and lane-keeping assistance but also up-down toggles for the angle of the headlights and the brightness of the two screens. (The instruments are, of course, fully digital and customisable.)
The bar is on the floor these days, but Renault is leaping high anyway. Alpine spec also puts sustainable fabric on those sports seats, as well as synthetic leather, which features on the steering wheel too, complemented by blue stitching and blue lining on the seatbelts – small details that I really like.
I noticed an enormous difference in my bank account when moving from an antiquated diesel Toyota Land Cruiser to a modern turbo petrol Peugeot 408 fastback earlier this year, and I’m hoping that this innovative hybrid supermini will yield a similar improvement.
My Clio promises a fabulous 65.7mpg (compared with 53.3mpg for the equivalent petrol), and in these inflationary times that’s a prospect that really has got me enthused.
Second Opinion
Yes, I’ve bought myself a new Clio – not the hybrid but the pure-petrol model, for a mere £29 per month. I’ve been a serial Ford Fiesta buyer, but with that gone, the Clio is the heir to its throne as the best small car you can buy. I look forward to swapping notes with Kris.
Mark Tisshaw
Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid Esprit Alpine specification
Specs: Price New £24,095 Price as tested £24,695 Options Shadow Grey metallic paint £600
Test Data: Engine 1.6-litre petrol engine, plus electric motor, 1.2kWh battery Power 143bhp Torque 118lb ft Kerb weight 1103 Top speed 108bhp 0-62mph 9.3sec Fuel economy 65.7mpg CO2 xxxg/km Faults None Expenses None
