► The joys of a base-spec supermini
► We live with an entry-level Renault Clio
► The start of our half-year long-term test
You’ve got to be a certain type of car enthusiast to celebrate the appeal of the base-spec car: the kind of person who takes a perverse delight in steel wheels, wind-up windows and AM radio; the kind of driver who secretly can’t wait to go on a European summer holiday just for the rental car you’ll pick up at the airport.
Ooh, maybe it’ll be a bog-standard Fiat Panda or a Kia Picanto? Painted matt white with a 650cc engine, hopefully…
The reason we love base-spec cars is their purity – entry-level models are often light and wieldy, with minimal technology to get in the way between you and the machinery. And who needs airbags or ABS when you’re on holiday, anyway? Much more important are the skinny tyres and that tiny engine, revving so hard it sounds like it could detonate at any minute.
The other advantage of entry-level models is, of course, the price – which is where this car comes in. The latest Renault Clio – a major facelift of the fifth-generation architecture – was launched last year with two engine options and three trim levels. The bottom-rung TCe 90 Evolution starts at just £17,995 – and if you search for lease deals you’ll quickly find you can get one of these for around £180 per month.
For a popular, full-size hatchback made by a major European manufacturer, that can be considered very affordable.
So, with a trumpet fanfare, welcome to our latest long-term test: rather than plump for the top-spec Esprit Alpine model with a sophisticated hybrid engine, we’ve chosen to run a base-spec example, with a 1.0-litre, 89bhp three-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox.
It’s a car that has ‘THRASH ME’ written all over it.
The first thing to note about our new Clio is that base spec these days isn’t quite as ‘base’ as it used to be. Forget steel wheels and wind-up windows, this Evolution trim gets you 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning and electric windows all round. True, it does have fabric seats and a ‘synthetic leather’ steering wheel, but the interior is far from austere.
And importantly, it has CarPlay integration, which is frankly all the on-board tech I ever use these days.
And in terms of safety, Renault can’t afford to downgrade its crash-safety rating by missing out some electronic driver assistance, in the way its sister brand Dacia can. So the Clio has the full gamut of assists, warnings and alerts to make sure you always know when you’re misbehaving. Personally, if there was an even more basic base version with all these warning lights and pings deleted, I’d probably buy it.
Hilariously, the published list of exterior features includes ‘heated rear windscreen’ and ‘exhaust pipe’, which shows how the copywriters may have been struggling for things to highlight; but still, this new-generation Clio looks sophisticated with its LED lights and clear rear lenses, and it includes standard equipment like auto wipers and automatic remote locking, which locks the car if you walk away with the key in your pocket.
I hear you sneering: ‘Auto wipers? I thought you’d want those deleted?’ To which I say, I want it basic but I’m not a complete animal.
Finally, while we’re talking about the exterior, there’s our one and only optional extra to consider, the extremely zesty Valencia Orange metallic paint (£700) which gives our car the sunny character of a giant Tic Tac. Put it all together and our Clio looks much more upmarket than its bottom spec might suggest.
And to drive? First impressions are it’s an absolute gem. We’ve come across this three-cylinder engine before – last year I ran one of my favourite long-term test cars of all time, the Dacia Jogger, with the slightly more powerful TCe 110. I loved that car’s revvy enthusiasm and the Clio has the same zeal, even though this TCe 90 takes 12.2 seconds to accelerate from zero to 62mph.
The six-speed gearbox – topped by a surprisingly chunky gearknob – is also slick and fun to use. The pedals are all light and the brakes work well, though looking at the tiny discs (front) and drums (back) I have a feeling they wouldn’t last long on a trackday round Silverstone.
But, on a bendy back road, the Clio’s handling feels tight, the steering is precise and it’s a lot of fun.
At the time of writing I’ve only just got the Renault’s key in my hand and I’ve barely done any miles, but it looks like fuel economy is going to be in the upper 40s. Unless I ruin that figure by wanging it, foot down everywhere, all the time. Frankly, the way this car goes, I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist.
Logbook: Renault Clio TCe 90 Evolution
Price: £17,995 (£18,695 as tested)
Performance: 999cc turbocharged three-cylinder, 89bhp, 12.2sec 0-62mph, 112mph
Efficiency: 54.3mpg (official), n/a (tested), 118g/km CO2
Energy cost: n/a
Miles this month: 25
Total miles: 735