Car: Renault Clio III TomTom range
Prices: £11,905-£14,155 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 2
Emissions: 120-139g/km
Performance: [1.2 16V] Max Speed 104mph / 0-60mph 13.4s
Fuel Consumption: [1.2 16V] (Combined) 48mpg
Safety: Six airbags, ABS, brakeforce distribution WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: [3dr] Length/Height: 3986/1462mm
CLIO TAKES DIRECTION
Our Rating: 7.0 / 10
Renault’s latest attempt to drum up more sales for its Clio supermini is the TomTom special edition. Steve Walker reports…
Over the space of just a few years, satellite navigation has risen from an expensive curiosity reserved for high-end luxury vehicles to become the ultimate must-have accessory for buyers of mainstream cars. If you can’t afford the manufacturer’s integrated system, there are neat aftermarket alternatives and if you can’t summon-up the finances for one of those, you can always get one for free with a Renault Clio TomTom special edition. The days of the dog-eared road atlas could be numbered.
How we managed before sat nav became available to the masses is anyone’s guess. The nation’s ring roads and one-way systems must have been jammed with tormented souls condemned to endless orbits in fruitless search of the right exit. Lay-bys and roadside verges must have resembled battlegrounds as distressed motorists wrestled with the folds of their billowing OS maps. At least, that’s the conclusion that one could reasonably draw following the dramatic uptake of satellite navigation in the UK - the technology’s rapid spread suggesting that there must have been a big void there for it to fill. In reality, most motorists managed quite adequately without the dulcet tones of a sat nav box chiming in at regular intervals but even the most ardent technophobe would admit that there are many situations where a bit of automated route guidance can be invaluable.
Sat nav is now so accessible that they’re giving it away with £12,000 superminis. The Renault Clio TomTom comes complete with a Carminat TomTom system – it’s made by industry-leading manufacturer TomTom, just in case you hadn’t already twigged. It’s a fully integrated sat nav set-up with a 5.8" colour screen and the tried and tested TomTom software.
The Clio TomTom is based on the Dynamique trim level and aside from the sat nav equipment, it also features cruise control and an electronic speed limiter. It gets all of the Dyanimique’s features too, including 16" alloy wheels air-conditioning, automatic headlamps and automatic wipers. TomTom badging rounds off the Clio TomTom package which is available in 1.2-litre petrol guise or with the superior 1.5-litre dCi 86 diesel engine.
Both of the available engines are very strong in terms of economy and emissions but might disappoint buyers who like their small hatchbacks to come with a bit of poke. The 1.2-litre petrol can return an average economy figure of 47.9mpg and 139g/km CO2 emissions but its 13.4s 0-60mph acceleration is less than brisk. The more expensive dCi 68 engine is slower still with a laborious 15.2s required to reach 60mph. This doesn’t quite tell the whole story, however, because the oil-burner’s powerful mid-range torque ensures that it feels faster than the figures suggest under normal driving conditions. Then there’s the 64.2mpg average economy and 117g/km emissions that make this Clio one of the most environmentally-friendly cars on the road.
You wouldn’t call the Clio’s styling adventurous, at least not in comparison to some of Renault’s other recent designs, but it’s an appealing shape that’s rendered more dynamic in three-door form and the Renault DNA is always evident. The front end of the latest 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. This TomTom derivative manages to look particularly swish with its sporty styling accessories.
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
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