Meet this cherry red Car of the year Finalist, the Renault Clio. It has come a long way, and also grown up in all the right ways. Today it can easily be considered a comfortable family vehicle. Not our family, of course. We’re five humans and two dogs. But it’s perfect as a starter family car or the stylish car of a young, successful millennial or Gen Z. If they have R309 900, of course. That’s for the Life version. The higher spec model that we have on test costs R349 900. Shew, cars are expensive, but at least this one comes with plenty of toys, and also is fairly frugal.
The Clio consumes an average of 5.7 litres/100km. You can probably expect a real-world figure closer to 6.7 litres/100km, depending on your driving style, but either way, you’d have to call it economical. It also boasts a fun, chuckable chassis and comes brimming with standard features. Even the entry-level Life version benefits from Renault’s Easy Link system complete with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. There is an extensive list of other standard features including air conditioning, one-touch electric windows at the front, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and so much more. On the safety front there’s peace of mind in the form of four airbags (six on higher spec models), Isofix anchorages, ABS, EBA and hill start assist to name a few.
As for how it goes, well the Clio is full of pedigree when it comes to handling and ride quality, with a flavourful helm to entertain its driver. The engine is eager to rev, providing you with plenty of thrills once you’ve toggled Sport mode. To reiterate, I like how it goes, sounds and looks, albeit a bit dated in styling now. It feels like we’ve seen this shape for a very long time, but I appreciate the Megane-like headlamps and sharper crease lines.
Should you buy a new Renault Clio?
Absolutely, especially if you’re tired of the glut of usual suspects in this segment. Absolutely, especially if you’re tired of the glut of usual suspects in the B-segment. And if you don’t mind shifting your own gears, because it comes exclusively as a manual. And also if you’re not in need of a compact SUV, which seems to be the standard in 2023. Now that we think about it, the little French hatchback is actually a breath of fresh air. How will it fare at Car of the Year? I’m not sure, but it certainly has earned its spot in contention.