Renault Clio 1.2 Turbo 100 TCE Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Renault Clio 1.2 Turbo 100 TCE
Prices: £11,295-£13,695 - on the road
Insurance Group: 4
Emissions: 137g/km
Performance: Max Speed 114mph
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 47.9mpg
Safety: Twin front/side airbags, ABS, brakeforce distribution, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: [3dr] Length/Width/Height: 3986/1707/1497mm

CHARGING LESS

Our Rating: 6.9 / 10

A tiny turbo is the key to Renault’s 1.2-litre TCE engine as fitted to the latest Clio range. Andy Enright investigates

At first glance, turbocharging seems a rather crude 1980s solution to solving issues of engine efficiency. Back in the bad old days, insurers would double premiums as soon as they heard the word ‘turbo’ and most turbocharged cars had all the subtlety of a TGI Fridays cocktail menu. Spool forward to today and turbocharging is returning to vogue, albeit in a different form. Yes, there are still the performance fans who want the adrenaline hit of a big turbo but nowadays there are also light pressure turbochargers that can massage a small capacity petrol engine’s power figures up modestly without unduly affecting fuel economy and emissions. That’s the logic behind the 1.2-litre Turbo Control Efficiency (TCE) engine as fitted to the Renault Clio.

The promise behind the 1.2 Turbo 100 is that it offers the torque of a 1.6-litre engine, the power of a 1.4 and the running costs of a 1.2-litre lump. That is quite some requirement for one engine to fulfil but the little 1.2 Turbo 100 just about manages it. Serving up some 145Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, this is an engine that needs a few revs on the board to give its best, and when the turbo comes on stream there’s an almost diesel-like sense of midrange urge.

The latest, facelifted Clio is a big car, even by modern supermini standards. It weighs-in at well over a tonne and while progress can be sluggish with the normally-aspirated 1.2-litre powerplant doing the legwork, the turbocharged version gives it a welcome shot in the arm. This engine does its best work in the midrange and can become noisy when pressed but otherwise, the refinement in the cabin is very impressive with minimal wind and road noise. As with all Clio IIIs, there’s tenacious grip and taut body control that invites swift cornering. The ride quality also wouldn’t seem out of place in a car a class higher.

The Clio Mk III was always a big car in the supermini class but this facelifted model is even bigger. At 4,027mm, it’s 41mm longer than the pre-facelift model and that extra length is utilised in making the Clio appear lower, leaner and more streamlined. This isn’t one of those facelifts that leaves everyone at a loss as to what exactly has changed. The front end of the Clio is markedly more aggressive with the sharp lines of the air-intake and the headlights combined with the thin, smirking grille. It’s a look that debuted on the Megane family hatch and it gives the Clio a far more purposeful appearance, even in its non-sporting forms. The interior was also upgraded with some relocating of the minor controls to increase user-friendliness. Higher spec models now get a soft touch dash with the satellite navigation screen integrated into it.

Beneath the skin, Renault’s focus has been on increasing refinement on the Clio and today’s model features upgraded sound-deadening measures to combat engine, transmission and wind noise. The occupants should have a pretty cushy time of it because the Clio also continues to set the standard for supermini cabin space with its impressive rear head and leg room along with a generously proportioned boot of 288 litres.

Three-door version of the Clio 1.2 Turbo 100 is offered in Dynamique trim. The engine is also available in five-door form in the Expression, Dynamique and Privilege trim levels. As well as the usual five-door hatchback bodystyle, there’s also the option of a Sport Tourer estate bodystyle with around 50% more luggage space, offered at a premium of around £900 over the standard five-door hatch.

All models get power steering, a trip computer, body-coloured bumpers and side mouldings, remote central locking and a height adjustable steering wheel. In Dynamique trim there’s 16" alloy wheels and air-conditioning too. One of the biggest factors in many supermini buying decisions is safety and the Clio II set quite a benchmark