Used Renault Clio review

Pros

RS models are superb to drive.
Even non-RS models are highly entertaining to drive.
Gorgeous styling.
Among the largest boot in its class.

Cons

Reliability and maintenance can be a nightmare on poorly maintained examples.
Expensive to repair and maintain in comparison to other equivalent cars.
Cup holders are quite small.
The lack of a manual option in the RS is still disappointing.

Verdict

We wouldn't...

We'd be cautious

We would...

It depends on which Clio and who you’re buying it from.

When talking non RS Clio’s, for what they’re asking on the used market, there are other alternatives that come with a far better and proven reliability record, that offer an equivalent driving experience and may not offer the same...

Publish: March 11, 2022

Like its big brother Megane, Renault’s Clio city car has long been the darling of Aussie drawn to French flair and a fun driving experience but has never enjoyed anywhere near the popularity locally as it as in Europe, let alone its native France. But it fourth generation, debuting in 2012 if hitting Australian showrooms in September 2013, built on a groundswell of interest for the nameplate anchored off the popularity of the go-fast RS version much loved by petrolheads after a fit on a relative budget.

‘Clio 4’ was bigger than its gen-three forebear, a growth spurt added by its long wheelbase improving roominess and boot space (300 litres). Renault also ditched time-honoured three-door option that somewhat compromised packaging, its novel five-door-only body offering practicality while embodying clever and fetching styling that appeared to have two fewer doors, with the rear door handles hidden in the C pillars.

Initially, the line-up tipped in with the Authentique manual, powered by a modest 900cc turbo three pot of 66kW and 135Nm and offering few frills but, clocking in at under $17k, it was chips-cheap to buy and run – 4.5L/100kms – and brought a heap of charm to the bargain. The Dynamique was the staple mid-ranger, bringing an 88kW and 190Nm 1.2-litre turbo four backed by a six-speed dual-clutch auto shoehorned into a well-appointed package – semi-digital instruments, sat-nav – for its handy sub-$25k ask. In 2014, an affordable Expression version would split the difference between two established variants in both

Like its big brother Megane, Renault’s Clio city car has long been the darling of Aussie drawn to French flair and a fun driving experience but has never enjoyed anywhere near the popularity locally as it as in Europe, let alone its native France. But it fourth generation, debuting in 2012 if hitting Australian showrooms in September 2013, built on a groundswell of interest for the nameplate anchored off the popularity of the go-fast RS version much loved by petrolheads after a fit on a relative budget.

‘Clio 4’ was bigger than its gen-three forebear, a growth spurt added by its long wheelbase improving roominess and boot space (300 litres). Renault also ditched time-honoured three-door option that somewhat compromised packaging, its novel five-door-only body offering practicality while embodying clever and fetching styling that appeared to have two fewer doors, with the rear door handles hidden in the C pillars.

Initially, the line-up tipped in with the Authentique manual, powered by a modest 900cc turbo three pot of 66kW and 135Nm and offering few frills but, clocking in at under $17k, it was chips-cheap to buy and run – 4.5L/100kms – and brought a heap of charm to the bargain. The Dynamique was the staple mid-ranger, bringing an 88kW and 190Nm 1.2-litre turbo four backed by a six-speed dual-clutch auto shoehorned into a well-appointed package – semi-digital instruments, sat-nav – for its handy sub-$25k ask. In 2014, an affordable Expression version would split the difference between two established variants in both 0.9L man ($18k-ish) and 1.2 auto ($20k-ish) formats.

But most of the buyer and critically acclaimed media attention focused on the RS (Renault Sport) stuff. The halo versions’ importance appeared in the numbers: four different Clio RSs were offered, the tree-topping Cup Trophy Auto, at just under $37k, over twice the price of the entry Clio.

Clio RS’s linage, reaching back to the Renault 5 Alpine of the ’70s, is a rich one, and the third generation to wear the RS badging flaunted tradition by offering a newfound level of smarts to what’s traditionally been a fairly tech-humble hot hatch format.

Controversially, no manual was offered. Instead, the French-built ‘200 EDC’ quartet brought 147kW (200 horsepower, hence the name) and 240Nm exclusively via a sport dual-clutch gearbox in a body-kitted and big-wheeled package offering launch control, an electronic LSD, big brakes (pinched from Laguna V6 sedan), multi-downshift functionality, ‘R Link’ track day data logging, some Nissan GT-R parts binning (shifters) and fancy hydraulic bump suspension. It’s certainly some piece of fun kit.

Performance was 6.7 seconds for 0-100kmh, but the real party trick was in dynamics. Buyers could get the feisty Sport ride and handling tune or a lower-sat, 20-percent stiffer Cup chassis with specific damper settings. For the die-hards and completists, fancier Trophy versions were offered above the standard-tier Sport and Cup.

Buyers up for a bit of driving enjoyment without the RS excess could, from 2014, opt for a Clio GT, offered in regular ($25k-ish) or leather-dipped Premium ($28k-ish) guises, pairing the 88kW/190Nm 1.2 engine with a specifically sporty handling package and a decent standard equipment fit-out.

A face-lift arrived in 2017, complete with fresh variants nameplates in the low-spec Life ($19k), nicer Zen ($21k) and mid-spec Intens ($23k) trims, all of them 1.2L autos. But the big news for gearheads was the arrival of a more powerful ‘220’ RS Trophy, plying 162kW and 280Nm from the familiar 1.6T while prying $39k from the hip pockets of buyers. The regular RS 200 continued alongside the range-topper in Sport, Sport Premium and Cup forms.

In 2019, Renault debuted its fifth-generation Clio replacement. But Renault Australia’s decision to ditch the compact hatchback from local showrooms means that the Clio nameplate is now on hiatus Down Under. And perhaps permanently.