It is no surprise that ‘quality’ is the key word that pervaded our testers’ notes. The smoothness, refinement and, on this Dynamique model at least, the standard of the interior fittings are as good as you could possibly expect for the money.
Indeed, drivers will scarcely believe that this is a Clio. Gone is the ludicrous hunched driving position found in the old car, to be replaced by a relationship between the seat, pedals and wheel that approaches perfection.
But only if you splash out an extra £250 for the keyless option and, somewhat strangely, Renault throws in a reach-adjustable steering column, too, meaning even the tallest drivers will be comfortable.
The dashboard layout breaks no new barriers but is pleasant to look at, legible and ergonomically sound. Storage space is limited to the narrow door bins, open cup holders and a reasonably spacious (though very ill-fitting) glovebox. The air-conditioned glovebox you may have read about elsewhere is unavailable on right-hand-drive cars.
Everything in your natural sight line, from the soft-touch dash and eye-ball vents to the brushed aluminium dashboard inserts and chunky door handles, feels a cut above the norm, although we will be interested to try a cheaper Expression model which lacks many of these features.
Of course safety is the issue that Renault will use as a key weapon in its sales campaign and, with a maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating under its belt and standard anti-lock brakes, stability control and at least six airbags for all models, you can’t blame them.
However, we would have preferred better all-round visibility as both the B- and C-pillars are notably thick, perhaps to provide outstanding roll-over protection.