Renault CLIO EXTREME 4 SPECIAL EDITION
The UKs Favourite Small Car Gets Yet Another Special Edition To Tempt The Private Buyer. Steve Ghosley Reports
It would seem that the British public just cant get enough of Renaults Clio. For private buyers it is the best selling small car in the country.
Renault are seeking to capitalise on this by offering yet another special edition, called the Extreme 4, the car were looking at here. Renault claim that the Extreme 4 offers a sporty look combined with value for money.
Based on the popular Dynamique trim level, the Extreme 4 is only available in three-door form but does have a choice of six engines.
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The petrol powerplants are 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-litres in size, the two larger units having originally powered Clio variants badged Si and RSi.
There is a choice of diesel engines, all based on the impressive 1.5-litre dCi producing 65bhp, 80bhp or 100bhp respectively. The largest petrol-powered engine will launch this Clio from rest to 60mph in a reasonable 9.6s whilst the highest-powered diesel does the same test in a second slower at 10.
6s. The 1.6-litre petrol delivers a top speed of 121mph whereas the 1.5-litre dCi 100bhp diesel tops out at 115mph.
The Extreme 4 Special Edition trim features Alium 15-inch alloy wheels, a sports rear spoiler, front fog lamps, a leather trimmed steering wheel and sports front seats. Aluminium finish interior trim and a trip computer are all included in the standard equipment list as well as a four-speaker RDS radio cassette or optional single CD player. The Extreme 4 also has its own special interior with the upholstery featuring an exclusive blue-grey Extreme fabric. In addition, the exterior is also made up to look like the awesome Clio Renaultsport 182 with body-coloured bumper inserts in metallic paint finish.
"its a car you could own as an only vehicle, thanks to its extra room inside and its more mature cruising abilities"
Prices for the this Clio start at £8,795 for the 1.2-litre 16-valve which is £505 less than the equivalent Dynamique model on which it is based. Customers of the Extreme 4 Special Edition can customise their car by choosing from five options and one pack. The Chill Pack features air-conditioning and a CD player whereas the options include an RDS radio and single CD player, a manual tilt and slide glass sunroof, air-conditioning, metallic paint and pre-telephone equipment.
The
Renault Clio Extreme 4 Special Edition is available in six different colours and features two new hues of Mercury, a silver metallic illusion and Tempest, a dark blue-grey metallic illusion. Previous Clios havent been noted for their handling finesse, except in sporty guises, and this one is no different. Still, a wider front track enables this model to use a much more sophisticated suspension system, first featured in the Megane and the result is sharper handling that really shows in the latest models. To emphasise the point, this variant of the Clio gets stiffer suspension, new damper settings and front and rear anti-roll bars.
Inside, the interior looks very cutting edge with enhanced materials and extra equipment. The panels on the rear doors have a soft-feel, while the dashboard instruments mimic the design found in the Megane for a more state-of-the-art appearance. Most salient amongst the interior features is probably the digital screen mounted on the centre console to supply up-to-the-minute information on the Clios various systems. In true Renault style, safety gets its usual top billing.
The previous Clio had already achieved a top four star rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests and builds on that by further including adaptive intelligent twin front and side airbags with two levels of inflation, depending upon the seating position of the driver and the severity of the impact. For the rear side seats, pretensioners are now combined with 600kg load limiters. Finally, the latest Clio is equipped with Isofix three-point child safety
seat attachments in the rear side seats and the front passenger seat, which is provided with airbag inhibition, should you wish your child to be placed alongside the driver. Otherwise, the recipe is much as youd find across the rest of the latest Clio line-up.
In other words, its a car you could own as an only vehicle, thanks to its extra room inside and its more mature cruising abilities. Inside, the large glass area gives the cabin a light, airy feel. Outside too, theres an impression of extra width, courtesy of the curvy front wings, large headlamps and that unique upright tailgate with its domed glass. Rivals? Well, you could consider Peugeots 206 XSi, Fiats Punto Sporting or Citroens C2 VTR.
All are around the same price, although when comparing like with like with regard to specification, the differential changes substantially. If Renault has made shortcuts in order to create this advantage, then they're not immediately obvious. The only ones weve found are a non-lockable glovebox - which could be annoying if you habitually leave the car around town in view of the light-fingered. On the contrary in fact, there are a lot of nice touches you might not expect on a car of this class. Take the useful eye-level display showing radio and clock information.
Or the bendy composite front wings, designed to withstand supermarket scrapes - you can stamp on them and they still pop back into shape without a scratch. This is one of the reasons why the eight-year paintwork warranty is the longest in the class. In addition, with the Extreme 4 Special Edition, Renault are offering one years free insurance if the car is purchased using Renault Selections. Renault would seem to be on a roll with the Clio.
They have a product that the British seem to love and with each new special edition the value for money proposition gets even better. The Extreme 4 Special Edition looks set to be another success story for this enduring supermini.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Clio Extreme 4 Special Edition
PRICES: £8,795 - £10,695 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 110 - 165g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.4] Max Speed 116mph / 0-60mph 10.5s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (Urban) 32.1mpg / (Extra-urban) 54.3mpg / (Combined) 43.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, Brake Assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length/Width/Height 3770/1640/1417mm
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