Road Tests: Renault Clio

Working on Commercial Motor’s roadtest team is not just a case of donning denim and work boots and becoming a hair-armed trucker at the wheel of the latest 44-tonner. Nothing if not versatile, we’re just as happy to change into Chinos and Gucci loafers to enjoy a spot of French chic – and CV’s don’t come ‘chicer’ than the latest Renault Clio van. Although effectively the same basic structure as the 1998 Clio, this latest incarnation has been thoroughly revised with an imposing new “big car” frontal appearance. The interior is all-new, as are most of the other external styling features. But more importantly it has gained one of the most advanced small diesel engines available today.

What is effectively the MK21/2 Clio Van range won’t take long to describe. By the way, if you’re wondering why you never read about the MK2 in Commercial Motor, the fact that a Clio Van is smaller than a blind spot in a French truck’s mirror led to our original test van being bounced off both sets of M25 Armco on the way to the proving ground. But back to today. While the Clio car range comes in numerous trim levels, the van is available in just one. Although not officially named, an overlooked badge inside the glovebox shows it to be based on the entry level Authentique version. What you don’t get in the entry level car, however, is the 1.9 dCi engine. The phrase “state of the art” is often bandied around (not least in these pages) but in the case of this engine, fuelled by the Delphi (formerly Lucas) Multec DCR 1400 second-generation common-rail system, its use is justified. Mind you, the term common-rail is somewhat misleading in this case, as the “rail” is actually a spherical accumulator which is designed to be more space-efficient on compact engine installations. The system’s greatest benefits come from the fine control of injection quantity and timing, including the all-important pilot injection. Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) constantly monitors the combustion process and is said to maintain optimum performance under all conditions throughout the vehicle’s life. A fuel inlet metering valve limits the amount of fuel delivered by the lift pump to what is actually needed, saving pumping losses and eliminating the need for a fuel pressure relief system. The rest of the Clio Van’s specification is quite conventional, with McPherson strut front and trailing-arm/torsion-beam rear suspension. The transmission is a five-speed and brakes are discs all round with ABS and EBD (electronic brake distribution). One departure from the norm in the bodywork area is the use of Noryl composite material for the front wings.

If you measure productivity purely by fuel economy, this van is a superstar. Unladen, the Clio Van made its way around the 144.2km of our slightly revised Kent light van route and gave us change from a fiver. It’s a long time since that last happened! Actual fuel consumption was 4.7lit/100km (60.5mpg) which, as far as we can tell, is the first time that any van has cracked the 60mpg barrier. The laden run cost an extra 15p, giving a marvellous 4.8lit/100km (58.7mpg) to snatch the all-time record away from Vauxhall’s Corsavan by 0.5mpg. The fact that we are routinely getting light van fuel figures in the fifties is testimony to the advances made by engine designers in the past few years, and is even more impressive when you consider that the improvements are driven by lower and lower emissions. The Clio Van as tested puts out 115g/km of CO2 while the newer 85hp version, not yet available in the van variant, emits just 110g/km, which is the lowest figure on the market. With an unladen power-to-weight ratio of more than 65hp/tonne (and 43hp/tonne fully laden) performance is not an issue – journey times are governed more by your respect for speed limits than by the Clio’s abilities. If you want a Clio for its load-lugging ability…well, you wouldn’t, but you knew that anyway. That’s not what the Clio Van is about, but for the record, payload with our notional 75kg driver on board is 460kg with a 0.95m3 loadspace. The maximum loadspace dimensions are 1,2750mm long by 1,3750mm wide, but don’t envisage too many operators wanting to squeeze a Europallet in the back. What load you can get on board is certainly well looked after. The loadspace has fully carpeted sides and a fitted rubber load floor mat, while its contents are hidden from view by a neat folding tonneau cover and kept separate from the driver by a third-height steel bulkhead. Not only does the Clio have remote central locking, but all doors are automatically locked as soon as the van exceeds walking pace. The Clio’s low emissions put it comfortably into the bargain-basement tax band with an annual VED rate of £110. Other financial attractions include two-year/18,000-mile service intervals (with a free safety inspection initially at 6,000 miles and then midway between each major service) and a three year/60,000 miles warranty complete with roadside recovery.