Renault Clio Euro NCAP 5 Stars
Supermini award in 2006. It is the new class benchmark for cabin space, refinement and safety, and genuinely feels like a car above its class. Few rivals can match its composure or grip, This is a big car for its class and will fit four six foot adults comfortably.
There are a number of trim levels available, with all but the base model offering a good range of equipment and safety features. The Clio has a number of innovative features including tyre pressure monitoring, cornering headlights and hands free unlocking and ignition key card.
There are six engine choices on offer: three petrol (a 1.2, a 1.4 and a 1.6 - all with 16 valves) and 3 diesels (68bhp, 86bhp and 106bhp versions of the 1.5 CDi). The higher-output diesel comes with a six-speed manual transmission and feels quite sporty.
Looking for some va-va-voom? Then look no further than the Clio 197 Tuned by Renaultsport (the side responsible for motor racing) which is the Clios 3 door hot hatch. With a 2.0-litre engine and tuned chassis the 197 is an involving drive with some added sports styling to hammer home the point. With 197bhp, delivering a
top speed of 134mph, the Clio 197 with its close ratio six speed gearbox races from 0 to 62mph in under seven seconds. Air conditioning, electric windows, CD player, sports seats, front, side and curtain airbags, traction control, stability control and understeer
control are all standard.
The Clio is doing its bit for the planet with emissions as low as 115g/km. All models are impressively frugal, with the 1.5 diesel particularly so offering combined fuel consumption of 64.2mpg and 70.6mpg extra urban. It also comes with a VED band B, which for those living or driving within the London congestion charge zone has
the added bonus of being exempt from the charge.
With even basic models getting six airbags (with curtain airbags also standard on all but entry level models), ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist there is little surprise to see that the Clio scored a maximum 5 stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests. It also
scored a 4 star award for passenger safety, which currently makes it one of the safest vehicles in its class. Stability control is a cheap option across the range. Deadlocks and anti-drill locks are fitted to serve as barriers to thieves.
Every new Renault comes with a 3 year warranty package. The first 2 years of unlimited mileage followed by a further year of cover up to 60,000 mileage. In addition there is a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Renault UK also employs the services of the AA to
provide Renault Assistance during the warranty cover (up to 24 months from date of registration). This fully comprehensive roadside assistance package is available 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
About the manufacturer
Committed to protecting the environment throughout its processes, one of Renault's strengths is its capacity to integrate the environment into every stage of a vehicle project. From the design right through to the end of its life cycle, each new vehicle requires important
environmental decisions to be made, from the choices of materials, the methods of fluid extraction, the dismantling operations for recycling, emissions, fuel consumption and noise levels to list just a few. With mould-breaking innovations such as direct injection
Commonrail diesels and robotised gearboxes, Renault has consistently demonstrated that care for the environment can be compatible with real technical progress.
As alternative fuel sources as still a way off, Renault continues to strives to minimize CO2 emissions from its existing gasoline and diesel engines. They are tackling this from many different angles, including optimized fuel combustion, lightweight vehicle design, and reducing friction between moving parts. Improvements in all these areas help reduce fuel consumption, and thereby CO2 emissions and Renault is a leading manufacturer in this area as highlighted by the fact that in 2005, 25% of all vehicles sold in Europe that emitted less than 120g/km CO2 were Renaults. A lead Renault plan to continue by selling a million cars a year with CO2 emissions under 140g/km by 2008, with a third of these emitting less than 120 grams. Not surprising then that Renault proudly boasts that it already has one of the best vehicle ranges in the world for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Looking to the future and the eventual replacement of petroleum Fuels, Renault has been taking part in ambitious research programs on alternative energies for both the near future with the development of
biomass fuels and battery-electric vehicles, and the longer term with advanced technologies like fuel cells to power electric vehicles. When Renault announced its "Renault Commitment 2009" on February 9,
2006, it confirmed that the group was preparing a broad range of alternative technologies, of which the fuel cell is just one part.
At the 16th World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Lyons, France Renault was able to show off the advances it has made in the development of vehicles powered by fuel cells with reformers used to apply hydrogen energy to power a car. This technology directly produces hydrogen on demand and on board the vehicle, solving the problem of very high-pressure or cryogenic storage. Since 2002, Renault and Nuvera Fuel Cells have been working together on this solution by which the reformer, transforms liquid fuel into reformate, a hydrogen-rich gas that can be used to supply the fuel cell. The only by product of this process is water, which is then returned in a closed circuit to the reformer that needs water to operate.
When a vehicle reaches the end of its service life Renault recognises that, as well as being a potential burden on the environment, it is not worthless and still has a value as it contains expensive raw materials
that can be recycled. In line with the requirements of the EC End of Life Vehicle Directive, Renault owners are offered the possibility to dispose of their vehicle, free of charge, via a Renault appointed take back facility. Renault has selected Cartakeback.com Ltd to provide
free take back to last owners of vehicles of the Renault, Alpine and Dacia brands. All take back and treatment facilities operate in conformity with the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) requirements. Vehicles will be treated to meet the recycling and recovery target of 85 percent by weight from 2006 as set by the End of Life Vehicle Directive.