ROAD TEST REPORT

MEMBER SERVICES
By Andrew Skidmore NRMA Project Engineer August
National Roads and Motorists Association Limited

ABN 010 506

No. 642 April 2002

trading as

NRMA Member Services

RENAULT CLIO

PRIVILEGE 1.6 litre manual

FEATURES BEST

Good performance Level of standard equipment Comfortable ride
Poor rear seat head and leg room PULP recommended Distorted rear vision and driver and passenger side SRS airbags, while seat belt pretensioners are fitted to the front and rear outboard seating positions. Occupants of the Clios front seats enjoy quite a generous amount of head room and there is a good range of seat travel that provides ample leg room. The front bucket seats are quite large and soft, and offer good lateral support. While the drivers seat was quite comfortable, I found it difficult to find a seating position that provided the correct distance to the pedals as well as the steering wheel (a certain amount of telescopic steering column adjustment would overcome this problem). Unfortunately, all is not well for rear seat passengers, as both head and leg room are very limited. The control layout and positioning of instruments in the Clio is a typical European affair with the indicators located on the left hand stalk and the controls are easy enough to operate. Interestingly, the windscreen wipers pivot from the left side of the vehicle and in so doing, fail to wipe the top right corner of the windscreen in front of the driver. In general, vision from the drivers seat is good, although the curved glass in the rear hatch results in quite a distorted view from the rear vision mirror. The 1.6 litre engine powering the Clio Privilege produces fairly modest maximum power and torque figures that belie the actual performance on offer. On the road, the Clio is a willing performer that has a torquey nature, smooth power delivery and returns good fuel economy. The manual gearshift has a reasonably long throw and the clutch action requires some effort to operate smoothly in stop start city traffic. The suspension in the Clio is reasonably soft and does a good job of soaking up bumps, as well as producing a comfortable ride. The handling is confident and predictable, and overall the Clio exhibits good road holding. ABS brakes are a welcome standard feature and provide good stopping power. SUMMARY: Renaults small hatchback, the Clio, is available in three different models that appeal to both the budget conscious motorist and the sporting enthusiast. The mid-range model is the Clio Privilege and is powered by a 1.6 litre engine that delivers good performance and a comfortable ride. While the Clio features an impressive level of standard equipment, the lack of space for rear seat passengers detracts from the vehicles functionality.
The Renault Clio range of small hatchbacks has enjoyed much success in Europe since the original model was released in 1990. Twelve years and many updates later, the current Clio line-up is now available in Australia in either three or five door hatchback variants and with a choice of three specification levels. The entry level Renault Clio is a five door hatchback called Expression. This variant is powered by a 1.4 litre 16 valve engine and there is a choice of a five speed manual gearbox or a four speed automatic transmission. The Clio Privilege is the next model in line and is also a five door hatchback. The Privilege features a larger capacity 1.6 litre 16 valve engine mated to a five speed manual gearbox. However, buyers who opt for an automatic transmission must make do with the 1.4 litre engine from the Expression. Topping out the Clio range is a three door hatchback that is equipped with a potent 2.0 litre 16 valve engine. Known as the Clio Renault Sport, this model is available only with a five speed manual transmission. Pricing for Renaults Clio range remains competitive and starts from just $19,990 for a manual Clio Expression. The manual Clio Privilege evaluated for this report retails for $23,990 and the Renault Sport is the most expensive model in the range, priced at $32,990. The above prices do not include dealer charges and on-road costs. The Renault Clio is a modern and smartly styled hatchback that reflects its European heritage. The front of the Clio is distinguished by quite large headlights, and a distinctive Renault diamond badge is centrally located in a Renault family grille. Overall, the Clio is pleasantly styled and our test vehicle exhibited an acceptable level of finish that is on par with most other vehicles in the small car class. One of the strong points of the Clio range is the generous level of standard equipment fitted to each variant. For instance, some of the standard features of the Renault Clio Privilege include power steering, climate control air conditioning, electric mirrors, alloy wheels (steel spare), remote central locking, power front windows, six speaker AM/FM stereo with single CD, multi-function trip computer and engine immobiliser. The Clio Privilege also rates well in terms of the standard safety features fitted. These items include anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBV), emergency brake assist, driver and front passenger SRS airbags,

RENAULT CLIO PRIVILEGE

SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE: Type. Four cylinder, in-line, 16 valves Capacity in litres.. 1.598 Induction. Multipoint fuel injection Fuel recommendation.. PULP Claimed max. power. 79 kW at 5750 rpm Claimed max. torque. 148 Nm at 3750 rpm Specific power output..49.4 kW/litre TRANSMISSION: Type.. Five speed manual Driving wheels.. Front Speed per 1000 rpm in top gear. 32.0 km/h WHEELS:..Alloy, 6J x 15 TYRES:.. 185/55 R15 Spare:..Full size, steel wheel STEERING: Type.. Power assisted (electric) Turns lock to lock.. 2.8 Turning circle (measured).11.0 metres DIMENSIONS: Mass... 1040 kg Length... 3773 mm Width (incl. mirrors 1930 mm). 1639 mm Height.. 1417 mm Ground clearance (measured). 138 mm Seating capacity.. 5 Fuel tank capacity. 50 litres TOWING: Max. towed mass (trailer plus load). 1200 kg Max. towball download. 75 kg NRMA THEFT RATING: Points on 0-110 scale (high score best). 61 WARRANTY:.Three years, km MANUFACTURED IN:.. France

TEST RESULTS

ACCELERATION: 50 - 80 km/h (in 3rd).. 4.9 sec 60 -100 km/h (in 3rd).. 6.6 sec 0 - 80 km/h.. 7.0 sec 0 - 100 km/h.. 10.8 sec 0 - 400 metres.. 17.5 sec FUEL CONSUMPTION: Litres/100 km in city.. 7.7 Litres/100 km on highway. 7.2 Litres/100 km overall.. 7.5 BRAKING: Distance to stop from 80 km/h.28.3 metres NOISE: Interior at constant 80 km/h. 69 dB(A)
Test vehicle supplied by Vehicle Distributors Australia Pty Ltd
Call NRMA Automotive Technical Services on 443, should you require additional information on this vehicle, on other makes, or for general advice on automotive matters.