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New Clio diesel knocks out running costs with over 88mpg

Class beating economy from the new Clio’s diesel.
And with CO2 emissions trashing the 100g/km threshold, it’s bad news for the taxman.
Story: DAVID WILKINS
Clio

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10 October 2012

 

New Renault Clio
The new Clio provides 88.3 mpg for astonishing economy and low running costs

Story: DAVID WILKINS

IF you want your small business to reduce the running costs of its company cars, then take a look at this: Renault’s fourth-generation Clio.

More importantly, stick the brochure in front of your company car driving staff.

That’s because the new generation Renault Clio looks set to attract plenty of company car users with an economical diesel that achieves a class-leading 88.3 mpg fuel and 83g/km – and there’s a business-friendly three-cylinder petrol as well. Prices start at £10,595.

The Clio’s diesel engine is a substantially reworked version of Renault’s well-proven 1.5-litre unit that provides more torque than before.

In standard form, this delivers 90g/km and 83.1 mpg but a £250 ECO option uses smaller wheels, low rolling resistance tyres, modified engine mapping and gear ratios, and a thermoplastic boot opening surround to get to 88.3 mpg and 83g/km.

The three-cylinder petrol engine in the new Clio has a capacity of just 0.9 litres but still churns out 90 PS thanks to turbocharging. Clios fitted with this engine achieve 105 g/km and 62.8 mpg, which improves to 99 g/km and 65.7 mpg with the ECO option.

Both engines have stop/start as standard whether the ECO package is chosen or not. A third engine option, a 1.2-litre petrol four, is also offered.

Four trim levels are on offer in the new Renault Clio range:

  • Expression
  • Expression+
  • Dynamique MediaNav
  • Dynamique S MediaNav

All Clios get Bluetooth and USB connections, near essential features for business users on the move, as well as cruise control and keyless entry and ignition.

The Expression+ adds alloy wheels, air conditioning and fog lamps. The Dynamique MediaNav also has a seven-inch touch screen and a NavTeq based sat-nav system, as well as enhanced trim features such as a leather steering wheel.

The Dynamique S MediaNav also has full climate control, larger alloys and electric rear windows. This new Renault Clio launch line-up will later be expanded to include sportier GT Line and Renaultsport versions.

Dynamique models will also be available later on with a £450 upgrade, R-Link, which provides deep integration between the car and a driver’s iPhone, with features such as a big seven-inch touchscreen, voice recognition and text-to-speech technology, as well as a photo and video viewer. Renault is planning to set up an R-Link Store for automotive apps.

The new Clio, which will only be available in five-door form, is a little bigger than the old car but weighs up to 100 kg less. On-the-road prices for the new Renault Clio range cover  £10,595 to £16,095.

The 0.9-litre petrol ECO-equipped Expression+, which costs £13,245 on the road, has a BIK company car tax rate of 10% to make the most of a driver’s company car tax allowance, while a 1.5-litre ECO Expression+ diesel priced at £12,995 has a BIK company car tax rate of 12%.

UK order books open in November, with the first cars appearing in showrooms next February.

New Renault Clio interior
A range of customisation programmes are available to tailor the interior of the new Clio to your taste. There are five interior decor packs which highlight different parts of the cabin with colours or motifs, and two interior ambience packs which co-ordinate the colour of the dashboard colour with that of the upholstery and door panels on the Clio Dynamique S trim

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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