Renault Clio: too big to be small... (retrospection)

What Bulgaria wrote 20 years ag piese auto online.

Renault Clio: too big to be small... (retrospection)

…And too small to be big. With a length of almost 4 m, the new Clio falls right between two classes.

3.99… It sounds like a low-price advertising offer, but in practice 3.99 is quite a high value for a small car. With its length of 3.99 m, the new Clio, which will appear on the market in September, will be the largest among the small ones. At least in centimeters…

The VW Polo is 9 cm shorter, the Nissan Micra is 28 cm shorter, and compared to its predecessor, the Clio III has grown by 22 cm. What is the purpose of this growth, pushing the Clio to the border between classes? With its length of almost 4 m, it is too big for the small class, but too small to be classified as a compact…

The base version will have a 75 hp engine and a price of around 13,000 euros.

In Renault's lineup, however, the Clio will ideally fill the gap between the Modus (3.79) and the Megane (4.21). Of course, this place in the company's hierarchy will also be reflected in the price of the new model, which will probably start at 13,000 euros for the 75 hp petrol version. The other engines in the Clio III range will be two petrol units with 98 and 112 hp, as well as three 1.5-liter diesels (with 68, 86 and 106 hp).

The design of the new Clio looks quite conservative compared to other recent Renault products. There are no surprising creases, no extravagant lines and curves on the body, not a trace of the spirit of the avant-garde Vel Satis or the discontinued Avantime is noticeable. The strategy of restraint continues inside the cabin. The center console is borrowed from the Megane and obeys the philosophy that the shape of each button should indicate what the last one is for. The Handsfree Entry & Drive System [keyless access system and chip card start] will now be available for an additional fee on the Clio.

In the high-end “Dynamique” trim level, the control instruments, air conditioning controls, gear lever and air vents are decorated in an original way. The latter are adjusted using a spherical device resembling the action of a computer trackball.

Thanks to the increased wheelbase (2.58 m), passengers have plenty of head and legroom. Folding the rear seats in the new Renault model is not particularly original – the horizontal parts stand up, and the backrests lie on the floor, forming a flat surface. On the floor of the trunk (from 288 to 1038 l) only one strip sticks out, which should stop heavy objects in case of sudden braking or impact – after all, even in a 3.99 m long minivan, they can be more powerful than someone would like…

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…And too small to be big

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