Renault Clio 1.4 16v Dynamique

Road Test

Your Say

Renault Clio 1.4 16v Dynamique

Test date 08 November 2005 Price as tested £10,640

For Space, refinement, quality

AgainstArtificial steering, driver engagement

Unlike most cars that are designed to cater for a certain sector of the community, if the Clio success story is to continue this new one has to appeal across the board.

It must be a hit with first-time buyers, which means it has to be cheap to buy, run and insure, safe yet sufficiently fashionable not to spell social death.

But it must also appeal to the more experienced enthusiast driver, looking for va-va-voom and expecting the Clio to provide it.

Then there are those with families who need a practical shopping car and those whose families have long fled the nest who want something safe, small and reliable.

And on top of all this, the Clio 3 must also help Renault finally outsell Peugeot in the class. You may be astounded that anything is unduly troubled by the arthritic 206 these days but image often counts for rather more than ability, so the 206 is still a formidable force in the market. And the all-new 207 will be with us in May.

Sales have already started: the three-door model (which will account for four out of every five sold) opens the batting, followed by the five-door in January.

Petrol engines come in 1.2-, 1.4- and 1.6-litre sizes with 75, 98 and 113bhp outputs, while all three diesels share the same 1.5-litre block, but offer outputs of 68, 86 and 106bhp respectively.

There are three trim levels: Extreme (only available with the lowest-output petrol and diesel motors), Expression (lacking only the high-output diesel engine) and Dynamique (all engines save those used by the Extreme), and myriad option packs available for all.

The range starts at £8895 for the petrol Extreme and rises to £12,750 for the Dynamique featuring the high-output diesel and the ‘S’ pack with its 16-inch wheels and flared wheelarches.

We have decided to put the 1.4-litre petrol Clio to the test, in Dynamique specification with air conditioning – a car costing £10,750 and likely to be the best seller of the range.