Renault

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Monday – It’s A Lock-Out

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I’m locked in a battle of nerves with the Clio. It’s nothing to do with the incredible handling, the sensational burst of speed when you press the EDC button, or the smile it brings to your face on a twisty road targeted with cow turds.

No, it’s all to do with the Renault key-less locking system. Now, Renault dispenses with an ordinary key years ago. Instead, owners of all Renaults are supplied with a credit card-style unit that either stays in your pocket, or pops safely in to a gap in the dashboard.

Nothing wrong with that except the Renault Anti Intruder Device (RAID, getit?) is super sensitive when you walk away from the car with the ‘key’ in your pocket. I reckon I can manage about nine paces before there’s a hefty click and the car is shutdown.

Of course, you could argue this is very sensible in such a desirable little motor. Except in the real world, every time you want to get something from the car, the key has to be about your persons. It’s especially infuriating if you are bringing a load of shopping home and leave the key inside your house, or in your coat pocket that you hung up on the way through the porch.

Instead of having an anti-drill locking fuel cap (do people really want my petrol that badly?), I’d rather Renault invested in a more usable door locking system that keeps me and, probably plenty of other Renault owners, in better humour.

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Saturday – Automatic For The People

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The Renaultsport Clio may look every inch a hot hatchback but the most surprising feature is that you can only buy it in automatic form. Will enthusiasts opt for a manual Fiesta ST or Peugeot 208 GTi instead?

Well, if you like fast cars then flappy, steering wheel gear changers are where it’s at. F1 drivers don’t do battle with a boring old gearstick – they keep both hands on the wheel avoid the distraction. Which is why the Renault is slightly faster than both of its key rivals.

This racey Clio also has an RS Drive setting, which really ups the tempo by adjusting throttle response and shift speed that exploit those 200bhp to the max.

Where the Clio falls short is styling. It’s not enjoyed the subtle touch of the designer’s brush. The sporty bits, like the deep front grille and wheels are very much in your face.

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Friday – Clio Renaultsport 200

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After a week in a heavyweight Range Rover, driving the Clio today has been something of a wake up call. Like somebody has chucked a bucket of icy water over my head and forced me to listen to Chris Evans…

I must admit I’d forgotten that Renault joined the hot hatchback market early – launching the Renault 5 Gordini in 1976, a full year before the VW Golf GT came on the scene.

The Gordini was a blast with 93bhp under the bonnet – can you imagine what this lightweight Clio is going to do at 200bhp?

This version made it’s debut in 2012 but is has just been tweaked for even better performance, most noticeably an Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) six-speed auto gearbox which you can use in automatic mode, via paddles on the gear column, or by a push-pull gearstick.

There’s even a Launch Control system borrowed from F1 that sets the Clio up for boy racer starts at the traffic lights! All I can tell you after a ten mile trip to the shops is that it’s going to be a fun week of sideways action…

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Friday – Ugly Betty?

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I’m not sure the great British car-buying public really understand Subaru. Seriously, the company has carved out such a niche for itself that there are still a long of people out there who are still uncertain about the brand.

In a search for a family-friendly SUV, they either pay a premium for an image-conscious BMW or Audi all-wheel drive, or they go for a cheaper, pseudo 4×4 from Nissan or Renault that looks the part but will be left in the dirt when set against a Subaru.

Hopefully over the next seven days we can try and persuade you that despite the Ugly Betty looks, the Forester should definitely be on your list of options. It may not be as pretty as an X3 or a Q5 but it will prove ultra reliable, practical, brilliant off-road and kind of cool, in a slightly alternative type of way.

I’ve just driven our XC back from Heathrow. It has excellent road manners, takes a corner well and is surprisingly good fun on a twisty A-road. It may look a Plain Jane but the Forester is worthy of being regarded as much more than just a farmer’s car for carrying damp Border Collies.