Had the opportunity to drive the iconic Clio model last week, which is almost synonymous with the Renault brand itself. To think that the Renault CLIO celebrated its 30th anniversary global in 2020 already.

Although the Clio has thirty years behind it, it only made an appearance through the second generation in 2000. It has however, garnered much loved support from SA motorists, and was nominated for Car of the Year in 2000 in SA. The Clio is one of the most attractive hatchbacks around, and comes with a reputation for reliability and good build quality. It certainly is a good value proposition in the B-segment, hence the good sales of 76 700 units achieved. Cue the All New Clio V, which according to Renault SA is just more Clio than ever before.

Exterior Styling.

The Clio V seems more finessed than it’s predecessor, and portrays a dynamic profile, actually looking very sporty, even though it is by no means a performance hatch. It has sensual, sculpted lines, and has a look of modernity to it.

Of course the  C-shaped LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) and Headlamps, and larger LED rear lights lend a chic look to the Clio V, and it is more compact and aero dynamic than before.

SMART COCKPIT

It’s in the cabin where we see the most improvements in the Clio V. New quality materials and finishes are the order of the day, and it offers a high-tech driver oriented cockpit, with ambient lighting that can be customised, snug seats, and a 7 inch TFT digital cluster, as well as 9.3 inch multimedia touchscreen that is easy to use. The cabin is well set out and has soft touch materials all around.

Intergrated to the Renault CONNECT universe, it is compatible with AppleCarplay & Android Auto for all your connectivity needs. This is imperative these days, as everyone needs to have there phone, and all it is connected to, connected.

The Engine & Drive.

So let’s look at the drive. The Clio is equipped with an entirely new 1.0 TCe 100 Petrol Engine. The 3-cylinder turbo offers 74kW of power and 160Nm of torque, an improvement of 8kW and 20Nm vs. Clio IV, with CO2 emissions of 132g/ 100km New Clio yields fuel consumption from only 5.7L/ 100km* (*Combined fuel cycle).

We found that the ClioV handled very well on the Cape roads, which are very good, but we were on a number of tight bends as well. Whilst not being known as a performance hatch, the Clio V acquits itself well on the road, and is very responsive indeed. For tunes, it has a great audio system with its 6 speakers offering a rich ad immersive sound experience, adding to the comfort of the drive.

The Clio V is also equipped with keyless entry and keyless ignition, by means of a Renault Smart key card. In times like now with fuel over R21.00 a litre, the fuel consumption becomes a huge bonus.

Safety

Renault has always placed a high priority on safety, and the the Clio V provides the most modern and effective active and passive safety systems, including Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Renault LED

Pure Vision Headlights, Parking Sensors (Front* & Rear), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), combined with Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).

The reinforced structure of the seating and high efficiency front airbags, side airbags, 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 all contribute to the stringent safety levels of New Clio.

As is standard across Renault’s entire product range, the New Renault Clio Model range comes with a 5-year/150 000km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. Services take place at 15 000km intervals, and a standard 2-year/30 000km service plan applies.

The New Renault Clio range also assumes the latest nomenclature to denote the range walk with LIFE representing the entry spec, ZEN the mid spec and INTENS the highest model spec.

RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICING (Including VAT)

• Clio V 1.0 Turbo LIFE – R309 900
• Clio V 1.0 Turbo ZEN – R324 900
• Clio V 1.0 Turbo INTENS – R349 900

In summing up, the all new ClioV has made quite an entrance, with major changes to the cabin area, as well as some really good styling changes to the exterior.

The drive remains vibrant, with a dash of French Joie de vivre, and with all of the safety equipment on board, gets you to your destination feeling refreshed.

This Clio V will continue to fly the flag briskly for the Renault Marque, coupled with all the enhancements, and attractive pricing, should continue to rack up some impressive sales.