THE Papa/Nicole Renault Clio ads were very famous in
the 1990s. I read recently that only five words were ever spoken in the eight
ads that were made: Papa, Nicole, Maman, Bob and Yes! Now I have around 500
words to tell you about the latest version of the popular Clio.
The Clio has
been around since 1990 and it’s credited with restoring Renault’s reputation in
Europe where it’s the only model to have been named European Car of the Year
twice, in 1991 and 2006. A fourth edition of the Clio is due in the autumn, but
last week I drove the third edition of this supermini.
I drove a white
version, which lifted my spirits on a cold February evening, but white is not a
car colour I would rave about any time of the year except maybe in a very
sporty model. While this 1.2 petrol engine Clio was lively, it couldn’t be
described as sporty.
Picking up a
white car was a surprise, but there were some glum faces when I got home with a
two-door car. As I have said before on these pages there are no fans of
two-door cars in our house; my family hate to be discommoded if they have to
get out and allow another passenger into the back seat.
I agree it’s
annoying getting in and out to allow back seat passengers in and out and I
could never see myself owning a two-door car again.
But if you are young
and single and starting out in this motoring life you may have to make do with
a two-door car for starters. The Clio would also be ideal for a couple who may
now have an empty nest to themselves.
And if you are
not flushed with cash right now the Clio could be the car for you. Prices start
at
?¬13,390 for the 3-door, but Renault still have decent scrappage deals and if
you have a trade-in and qualify for one of their various promotions you could
get the 3-door Clio for around
?¬11,700. Some of the promotions may only last a
few days, but they are worth watching for.
Naturally for
that kind of money you are not going to get luxury. What you get is a no-frills
small car, which drives well, where the controls are easy to figure out and you
won’t need to read the manual every morning to learn all about the various
controls. The only controls on the dash which I found annoying were for the
radio, but thankfully the slave controls just to the right of the steering
wheel were user friendly and discreet.
Apart from the
initial dislike of the two-door version, as the days went by the Clio certainly
grew on my family members and eventually they had to agree with me that it was
a lively motor with a decent-sized boot. The 1.2 engine only gives you 75 brake
horse power, but I found the Clio a very lively motor and I had no difficulty
over taking other larger built cars.
Naturally in a
car in this price range you won’t find extras like
‘magic parking,’ but in
reality the Clio is so easy to park and it’s ideal for city driving. Very good
value at
?¬13,390 and watch out for those special offers from Renault. Also
available in five-door and 1.5 diesel