2010 Renault Clio Review
Price
RM119,750
Installment
RM1,142/mth
2010 Renault Clio at a glance
One of the finest in the class, the 2010 Renault Clio has many class-leading talents, in the areas of ride-and-handling, refinement, cabin quality and interior room. A pity that the 2010 Renault Clio is priced out of contention most of the time.
2010 Renault Clio quick specs
| Body Style | Hatchback |
| Class | Small Family |
| Assembled | - |
| Engine Range | - |
| Fuel Options | - |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
2010 Renault Clio ratings (overall rating : 4/5.0)
| Styling | |
| Handling | |
| Comfort | |
| Quality + Reliability | |
| Performance |
| Roominess | |
| Running Costs | |
| Value for Money | |
| Equipment | |
| Environment |
Styling
The Renault Clio is one of those cars designed to be as neutral as possible. A mainstream model expected to sell in large volumes, the 2010 Renault Clio's styling is unadventurous but also inoffensive. A mid-life facelift revises the front-end design, incorporating Megane-like headlights and sharpening the overall looks.
Handling
With a finely tuned ride-handling balance, the 2010 Renault Clio drives with the maturity expected of a larger car. On the roads, the Renault Clio puts on a class-leading performance, showing excellent body control, impressive poise and strong grip levels. However, the light steering fails to generate enough feel even as speed rises, hence limiting the 2010 Renault Clio's appeal as a true driver's car.
Comfort
The ride quality is impressive, proving smooth and comfortable under most conditions. Along with being among the most comfortable in the class, the 2010 Renault Clio also makes an accomplished long-distance cruiser. Other than some suspension noise on rougher roads, the cabin is hushed, with engine, road and wind noise kept to a minimum. Despite the lack of steering reach adjustments, finding a perfect driving position is possible. All-round visibility is excellent, too, and the simple dash layout ensures easy navigation.
Quality + Reliability
The 2010 Renault Clio's cabin quality is about as good as it gets in this segment. From the soft-touch dashboard and chrome instrument dial surrounds, to the standard of finishing and the tactility of the controls, the cabin looks and feels great. The Renault Clio has been in production for some time now, and most of the underlying mechanicals have been proven in other Renault models, so you can expect years of trouble-free running.
Performance
The 2010 Renault Clio is powered by a 1.6-litre engine paired to a four-speed automatic gearbox with manual selection. With 110 bhp at 6000 rpm and 151 Nm at 4250 rpm, the on-road performance is more than adequate; but not by much more—as the 12.2 seconds taken to sprint to 100 km/h from rest indicates. The drivetrain refinement is impressive, however, with a very refined engine that is well-matched to a smooth-shifting gearbox.
Roominess
The cabin is spacious by class standards, providing four adults with plenty of head- and leg-room. Cabin storage areas include a reasonably spacious glovebox, cup holders and somewhat narrow door pockets. The boot is a good size at 288 litres, and becomes a useful 1038 litres when the 60/40 split-fold rear seats are folded. However, unlike in certain rivals, the resulting loading area is not fully flat.
Running Costs
Fuel economy is decent at 13.3 km/litre. But we expect the servicing and repair costs to be higher, if only marginally, than Japanese rivals'. Depreciation is yet another area of concern. Sure, the Renault Clio's limited numbers on the resale market will help support used car prices. But without the perceived reliability and the desirability of Japanese rivals, the Renault Clio has no arsenal to ward off depreciation.
Value for Money
Being a fully-imported French car, the 2010 Renault Clio is significantly more expensive than Japanese rivals. The question is whether the Renault Clio can justify the premium. Well, it certainly has the talents. The ride-and-handling, refinement, cabin quality and interior spaciousness are there or thereabouts at the top of the class. But with the price disadvantage against the Honda Jazz or Toyota Yaris, and more so against the Honda City or Toyota Vios, the 2010 Renault Clio seems destined to be a rare sight in Malaysia, even if it is one of the finest in the class.
Equipment
Standard equipment includes 15" alloy wheels, leather steering wheel and gear knob, radio/CD audio player, cruise control, remote central locking, automatic windscreen wipers, rear parking sensor, fog lamps, and automatic headlights. Safety kit includes 6 airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, and braking controls (ABS, EBD, EBA).
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions of 179 grams/km and fuel economy of 13.3 km/litre are less than great. Don't get us wrong: the environment would be healthier if all cars come with such figures, but given the 2010 Renault Clio's weight and performance level, we expect better figures.
Live Life Drive Verdict
Ride-handling balance
Impressive refinement
Well-made, spacious cabin
Steering feel is lacking
Relatively high running costs
Expensive by class standards
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