Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa June 2013 | Page 81

MOTOR TALK

BY RUSSELL BENNETT

A Micro With Soul
The new 0.9-litre turbocharged
Renault Clio 4

E

ver since I was old enough to drive, or more
specifically to own my own cars, I’ve always
stuck to a particular credo. Each new car I
bought would have to have an engine larger and
therefore more powerful than the vehicle being
replaced.

firm’s F1 power train team in its development
- it manages just 66kW. Which on paper puts
it substantially below the level of the 1.0-litre
Ecoboost unit, and in a different league to the racespec 1.6 of the Deltawing, which apparently ran
comfortably more than 220kW for its laps.

Increasingly, however, the manufacturers
have actively dogged my efforts to stick to this
pledge. Let’s just say “downsizing” is not a trend
I appreciate, even with the cost of petrol being as
concerning as it is now.

But the three variants of the new Clio is a
different animal. Yes, the 0-100 times will support
the naked power outputs, but depite the Fiesta
Ecoboost running quicker against the clock, the
Clio 4 is the one that gives the most enjoyment in
the process.

Lately, however, a few of the products
spearheading this drive have actually managed to
impress despite my personal prejudice. It wasn’t
Fords 1-litre Ecoboost engine being crammed into
a flyweight racing kart and posting competitive
times around a track, nor was it the Nissan
DeltaWing performing a similar feat with the
turbocharged 1.6-litre motor also found in the
nose of the love-it-or-hate-it Juke crossover.
In fact if anything it’s more extreme than either of
these efforts. It was the new 0.9-litre turbocharged
Renault Clio 4 launched in SA last month. This
three-cylinder motor doesn’t make all that much
power despite the close involvement of the French

It develops a fine, purposeful tune right across the
rev-range. It responds to throttle with noticeable
lag but then once the boost pressure is peaking
commendable enthusiasm. It generally makes light
work of what is a fairly lightweight little car, and
it’ll breach 180kph on the speedo in top without
making very much of a meal of it at all.
In short, it’s the first of these drastically
downsized cars to have a proper, passionate soul.
Although the Micra from alliance partner Nissan
comes pretty close too, and is let down only by its
naturally-aspirated three-cylinder unit being just a
touch too gutless even in a sub-1000kg car.

PRICING
Clio 4 - 55kW Authentique 5-door

R149 900

Clio 4 - 66kW Turbo Expression 5-door

R169 900

Clio 4 - 66kW Turbo Dynamique 5-door

R179 900

OPTIONS
Manual Air-Conditioning

R10 000 (Authentique)

Fixed Glass Roof

R8 000 (Expression & Dynamique)

Climate Control

R5 000 (Dynamique)

Rear Park Assist

R2 000 (Dynamique)

Metallic Paint

www.reimag.co.za

R2 500 (Range)

It also helps that the Clio 4 is so charming a
car on the whole. It doesn’t rely purely on the
unexpectedly capable little motor to impress,
it’s also sharply styled and features a fairly
straightforward but special-feeling interior.
Simple, but suitably gadget-laden for our techdriven epoch of course.
As well as the right heart and soul, and likeable
styling both inside and out, the new Clio also
delivers an impressive ride in typical Frenchhatchback tradition. This vehicle has been
deliberately kept as light as possible, yet the tyres
seem to remain resolutely in contact with the road
even at speeds comfortably over our national limit.
It can also both float softly over the largest bumps
without losing all composure and continuing to
feel positively tied-down to the tarmac and ready
to react to the next input.
But possibly the most impressive aspect of the
new Clio 4 isn’t the technical which I’ve enjoyed so
much, but the aggressive prices set by the French
firm. Ignore the entry-level naturally-aspirated 1.2
and head straight for the 0.9 Turbo, and your entry
point to Clio 4 ownership is only R169,900. For
R179,900, you get thi 2??&W76?fR?GF?RV?v??R0?vV??26???6RWw&FW2?7V6?2?&vW"?Bf?6??W ?????2??W6?W"'WB7F???f'&?2W???7FW'??V?V7G&?0?v??F?w2f?"F?R&V"2vV??2F?Rg&??B?WF??F?0??VF?v?G2?Bv?W'2??B?W??W72?v????6??'B???&W76?fR?7B?b??Bf?"F?R&V6??&?R&?6R???BF?B6??7B??F?"v??6????fP?6??f??6VB?RF?B??fV???r6"?'W???r7&VF???2?6???vR6???GF?R?WfV???S?vV???&V?F????N( ?2v???rF?&V6V?fR??FW7B'V????vW"6?????v??6?v???7W&V???R?BWfV?&WGFW"7F?????2?2F?R66R7&?72&V?V?N( ?2V?F?&R&?GV7@?&?vR?F?RF?&VR?Wr6??f&??G26??R7F?F&@?v?F?R?V"?S???V6???6?v'&?G???2?V"?CR??6W'f?6R???Bb?V"?F?6?'&?6???v'&?G??V?R#24&V?W7FFR??fW7F? ??s????