The demand for automatic boxes is rapidly growing in the B-segment as more and more owners, particularly daily commuters, are lured by the pleasure and convenience of not having to manually change gears.
At the same time the French carmaker has also introduced a new 66kW Blaze model equipped with over boost which pushes output up to 70kW and 150Nm.
At the media launch, I spent quite some time at the wheel of the auto model (which, in Renault-speak, is an Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) transmission) and was impressed by its responsiveness, smoothness and ability to "read" different driving conditions and driver input. The transmission can also be clicked into manual mode which takes a while to get used to because it has to be pushed forward to downshift and backward to change up.
There is a slight initial lag in take-off but this disappears quite quickly, particularly during rapid take-offs. As with most Clio cars the newcomer holds the road well and the variable power steering is fairly firm and quick to respond.
It is also no slouch out of the starting stalls with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 9.4seconds and a top speed of 199kph. On paper it is also quite frugal with Renault claiming 5.2 litres/100km in the combined cycle and emission of 120g/km.
The seating in the Clio has always been comfortable and this car is no exception (the only slight disappointment is the driver's seat which is only height-adjustable).
The steering is height and reach-adjustable. The finish of the cabin looks and feels upmarket with the focus on the dashboard that houses a multimedia seven-inch touchscreen with satnav, radio, audio streaming and Bluetooth hands-free telephony, USB jack and socket and a super sound system.
With the Clio being one of the safest cars in this segment it is richly endowed with a brace of protective aids including a lot of airbags, ABS with EBA, speed-limiter cruise control, electronic stability control (ESC), anti-slip regulator (ASR), rear seat belts, height-adjustable driver and passenger seat belts, an anti-submarining system and ISOFIX child rear seat anchors - which is why it has a five-star EuroNCAP rating.
The new auto version rides on attractive 16-inch alloys and its metallic paint make-up extends to the front and rear bumpers and wing mirrors, and the car's sporty looks are nicely rounded off a rear spoiler.
On paper, the new Turbo might seem a tad on the pricey side when you compare to the likes of Honda Jazz, Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta and the VW Polo until you start comparing the features of the different models.
More than 13 000 versions of the Clio has been sold since it was launched here and the features-rich, frugal and force-fed Expression version is sure to add more shove to Renault's showroom sales scrum.
A with Renault's entire range, both the new Clio Expression Turbo EDC and Clio Blaze Turbo Limited Edition come standard with a five-year/150 000km mechanical warranty and a three-year/45 000km service plan.
The models and prices are:
Clio Expression 88kW Turbo EDC - R234 900 (Metallic paint R2 500 extra)
Clio Blaze Limited Edition Turbo - R179 900 (Metallic paint R2 500 extra)
