Pint-sized, force-fed engines are the new big thing in the small car world and the new Renault Clio, launched in South Africa this week, has an even smaller engine than the recently-launched 1-litre Ford Fiesta.
While the baseline Authentique has an 'old fashioned' 1.2-litre 55kW motor, the Expression and Dynamique versions come equipped with a 900cc turbopetrol that pushes 66kW at 5250rpm and 135Nm at 2500rpm.
It might be a lot less powerful than the Ford, but the Renault range is priced at a much lower level with the 900cc models ranging between R169 900 and R179 900.
ADEQUATE URGE
Our Star Motoring launchman Denis Droppa drove it on its media debut in Gauteng (where, unlike its normally aspirated rivals, it doesn't suffer altitude sickness) and he was rather impressed by what it had to offer.
“While it could never be described as zippy, the little French hatch stops short of feeling wheezy and underpowered. Apart from some turbo lag at low rpm, it has a decent spread of useable shove, with its maximum torque on call all the way from 1650 to 5250rpm.
“The car's quite useable on the open road too, and with two adults on board and the aircon running, can maintain 120km/h-plus uphill in top gear.”
Denis also describes the engine as “a refined little thing that makes a distinctive but not-unpleasant three-cylinder burble in the background, but remains impressively smooth and hushed.”
BIGGER ENGINES COMING
It's no screamer, but those seeking a bit more oomph can look forward to the 89kW 1.2-litre turbopetrol and 1.5-litre turbodiesel motors that are set to join the range at a later stage.
On the road, Denis noted that the ride quality was a bit choppy, although the flipside of its firmer suspension set-up is very taut handling.
Nonetheless, the Clio proved quite comfortable to operate: “Finding a comfy seating position in the new Clio is a piece of cake thanks to its height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, and I found the multimedia interface very intuitive and simple to use.”
Click here for more pictures and further detail on the range and specifications.