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Tag: Renault

All the latest breaking news on Renault. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on Renault.

  • The Good, The bad and the Ugly: The Renault Clio

    The Good, The bad and the Ugly: The Renault Clio

    The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

    An irreverent look at a certain car.

    The Renault Clio 2.

    The 1998 – 2005 Clio in almost all of its guises was a sensational little car. Even now, some 20 years later, they are still fun to drive.

    Nicole and her Papa were onto something with the pretty Clio 1. Clio 2 changed a few things like the fitment of plastic front wings and the use of materials inside to make it lighter and cheaper to repair.

    I’ll grant you that Clio 2 wasn’t as pretty as Clio 1 but then again it was still far better to look at than Clio 3.

    Borne out of Clio 2 was the crazy and short-lived, three litre V6 mid-engined monster using a modified V6 from the Laguna that was a part development engine with Peugeot/Citroën. Two seats and no luggage space in a widened shopping cart from France. Just 2822 road going versions were made.

    So I’m taking the 1.2 16 valve as the Clio 2 to get. It’s not a fireball to drive with just 74bhp but this enables you to be enthusiastic in your approach to where you point Clio 2 at and plough on. It’s still a fun car to drive.

    Admittedly, the clutch on a high mileage car will become heavy and city traffic will kill your left leg. Or it’ll encourage you to take up the gym membership and work on that right leg that in comparison would have become lazy and weak.

    And then there are the mechanical failures that are the Clio 2 Achilles heels. Ignition coils will fail and rocker cover gaskets leak. Simple fixes in the big schemes of things. My niece has one as her first car. I said it would breakdown. It broke down. It was a coil pack.

    Interior trim, made light to save weight, will by now, be rattling around with some, if not all, clips broken. You learn to live with it. What you won’t though is the rattle from the optional sunroof. Opening it usually solves the problem.

    And who could forget the “bonnets up” controversy where the bonnets would flip up at high speed! Lack of maintenance on the bonnet catch was the culprit here. So lubrication once again saves the day.

    So should you buy one? Yes. They are cheap cars, cheap to run, fun to boot around and are still pretty to look at.

    And that is why the Clio is a “good car”

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  • CAR REVIEW | Renault Twingo

    ★★★★ | Renault Twingo

    It’s always a problem when you give a name to a car on review. It becomes personal and trying to be subjective about it is wholly difficult. Its flaws covered up with candy floss and its better bits celebrated with raptures of delight.

    If I lived in Toy Town I would drive a Twingo. In fact Noddy would have one too. In its third incarnation Renault have returned to a layout last seen in 1971 with their rear engined rear drive 8 and 10 models. This car shares a platform with Smarts For4. It’s just been dressed in prettier clothing.

    Turn the key and the engine giggles into life. Now I know that makes it sound like I have lost the plot somewhat and to be fair I have with this little Renault. It’s such an easy car to love.

    ‘Giggles’ as he became known arrived to me with bright red paint, go faster stripes and pretty polished alloy wheels. The stripes and wheels themselves were reminiscent to those offered by Renault in the 1970’s boutique range of accessories. This car possessed some nice retro touches. The rear was very pretty. The front however had the face only a mother could love. The problem is with the daytime running lights that look like he’s had his top lip pierced twice! You’ll soon grow to accept this.

    While I had the Twingo with me I had a party so parked him in the back garden. There were some picky queens whose car delights ranged from all things Citroen, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. With alcohol flowing the Twingo was subjected to a clinic style review. It was thumbs up on a lot of things. Your friends would approve but choose wisely. Despite the being able to accommodate well within the space available, the Twingo is a strict 4 seater.

    Inside was a pleasant change from austere black that is so the norm these days. The Twingo had the options list ticked and came with the red and white plastic inserts on the doors and contrasting red stitching on the seats. The white plastic will get grubby. You can’t deny that so getting the bucket out on a Sunday for a wash and wipe won’t become a bore because you’ll love the little Twingo. Despite living in the sticks I have never once washed a car I had to return but I just couldn’t return ‘Giggles’ to Renault covered in dirt.

    It was easy to get into a suitable driving position. The high backed seats took a bit of time to get used too but after a day or two  it all felt quite normal. What wasn’t was the position of the window switches. No matter how short or tall you are they are always about 4 inches too far back. Thankfully the ventilation system is up to the job. The pop out windows in the rear doors working well in promoting greater ventilation with minimal wind noise.

    The driving experience of the Twingo is unique. It’s not how you would imagine it to be. A rear engined rear drive layout it might have but thoughts of a tail happy little car are not what you get. The stability program is always on and will always get you out of trouble even if you provoke it wildly with enthusiastic movements. What you will prefer though is to drive it in its manual mode. The auto box will still change up and down but it will do so at a higher rev and for this increase in enthusiasm you won’t pay dearly at the pumps. Chances are you won’t notice a difference at all.

    Stuart_Bird-060215ren3

    The auto gear box does however have a few niggles. In traffic it can become a bit snappy if you are heavy with the right foot. At parking speeds it just won’t engage without a little throttle. Several times I “that’ll do” parked it instead of risking ploughing into the car in front. Strangely enough though is that it works better in reverse. Thankfully the turning circle is small so backing into a space is easier. I went out to find small spaces just to drive round and round. It had me laughing.

    Now for the science part. The 898cc engine will make your mother happy. She’ll be happy you don’t have one of those big engined fast cars. What you don’t need to tell her is the little turbo attached to it propels the Twingo at quite a rate in forward motion. It will startle you at just how nippy this little car is. As is typical with a rear weight bias layout though is susceptibility to side winds. It can get buffeted about a bit. This was noticeable at those great speeds it could travel at. Kept within 70mph and it wasn’t such a problem.

    Living with the Twingo is easy. There are cubby holes where you wouldn’t expect them to be and that high rear boot floor that hides the engine is perfect height for loading. It also turns out it is also the perfect height as a seat. The insulation over the engine so epic in its padding that it makes for a cushiony soft seat to sit on and ponder life. It’s also good at not allowing heat into the boot so your picnic and your chilled prosecco won’t be ruined.

    One innovative trick Renault have missed out on is the centre consoles removable cubby box. Add a snap-on strap and you get yourself a swishy Twingo bag for your oddments while also having a handy place for it to go when on the move.

    What did annoy me the most was getting to the service items. The bonnet pulls forward to reveal the brake fluid, screen wash, coolant and battery. It’s a bit of a faff and all items are accessed by leaning over the bonnet. Chances are the coolant will never get checked and the screen wash will always be empty. Normal bonnet hinges would correct this and probably allow for some extra storage up front. Like wise to check the oil you need to go through the boot floor. Removing the floor isn’t as easy as it could be and makes it a bit of a chore.

    Since its launch I had always wanted to test a Twingo and l am glad I did. As a run around this car gets my thumbs up. It also gets the sides of my mouth up too. l can’t stop giggling.

    Likes

    Fun to drive
    Cute
    Turning circle

    Loathes

    Auto box jerky
    Poor access to service items
    Window switch posistion

    The Lowdown
    Car – Renault Twingo Dynamique TCe
    Price – £ £13,900 (as tested)
    MPG – 58.9mpg (combined)
    Power – 90 bhp 6000 rpm
    Top Speed – 104 mph
    Co2 – 108 (g/km)

  • CAR REVIEW | Renault Captur Dynamique Media Nav

    The Renault Captur is proving a popular choice amongst those after an alternative to a common-or-garden hatchback.

    Based on the same platform as the Clio supermini, it’s a similar length but both wider and taller. Engines mirror the Clio range with 900cc and 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol engines along with a 1.5 litre diesel on offer. It may be competitively priced but is it any good?

    First impressions are positive; the exterior is smartly styled with an attractive take on the Renault corporate ‘face’, nicely sculpted sides and pert rear. There’s even the option of a contrasting roof and coloured highlights on the wheels for those that want to stand out. The Captur may ride higher than the Clio it’s based on but don’t think it has any off-road ability. There isn’t even the option of four-wheel drive.

    Move inside and everything is laid out pretty sensibly apart from the switch to toggle between the cruise control and speed limiter; this was unhelpfully between the front seats. Still, the heater controls are easy to use and the infotainment isn’t mounted too far down the dashboard like some rivals. It’s not overly exciting but it is attractive enough, especially with the piano black trim and body coloured highlights of higher trim levels.

    The Captur is practical too, the boot is a decent size and the seats naturally fold down. Cleverly, they also slide back to give rear passengers more legroom albeit at the expense of carrying capacity. It is however in the cabin where the Captur’s cheap price really shows. Closer inspection reveals acres of hard plastic while the infotainment system looks exceedingly dated compared to rivals. It works well enough though.

    On the road, the Captur proves a comfortable companion that only got caught out by particularly rough surfaces. Not only could it deal with bumps well, it resisted wallowing too. You’d never call it engaging though; the steering provided little to no feedback as to what the front wheels were doing and I couldn’t turn off the traction or stability control. Although that may not be of too much concern to many of you, I found the traction control cut in far too quickly leaving you accelerating out of junctions far slower than you’d expected.

    While it may sound like there’s too much power for the chassis, that isn’t the case at all. Initially, the 1.5-litre diesel seemed quite punchy around town but this feeling soon disappeared on the open road. Despite a quick and enjoyable gearchange, a 0-62 time of 13.1 seconds means getting up to motorway speeds can be a bit of a chore and a noisy one at that. Economy hovered at just under 50mpg on a mixture of roads. Not bad at all for a real world test if somewhat below the official figure of more than 70mpg.

    Still, the Renault does have price on its side. Even before discounts, you can pick one up new for a little over £14,000 which is very competitive indeed. Opt for a decently specced mid-range model and you’ll still be looking at under £18,000 for a vehicle with air-con, sat-nav and cheap running costs. With that in mind, you can forgive a lot of the negative points of the Captur. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular, that’s for sure.

    PROS

    Inexpensive

    High driving position

    Looks

    CONS

    Slow

    Cheap feeling interior

    Dated looking infotainment system

    The Lowdown

    Car – Renault Captur 1.5 dCi Dynamique Nav

    Price – £17,695 (£18,964 as tested)

    Power – 110hp 0-62mph – 11.0 seconds

    Top Speed – 109mph

    Co2 – 98g/km

  • CAR REVIEW | Zoe, Renault Electric dreams? Living with the Renault Zoe

    The electric car has seen a significant rise in popularity in recent years. Once seen as the preserve of milk floats and mobility scooters, advances in battery technology have increased range, reduced charging time and made electric vehicles seem a viable option.

    The question is how do they perform in the real world? Only one way to find out….

    Renault’s Zoe is an all-electric supermini that is around the same length and width as a Clio (they even share a platform) but a bit taller. You wouldn’t call it an MPV or a crossover but you do find yourself looking over the roofs of most other cars meaning visibility is excellent. Thanks to clever packaging of the batteries, motor and other mechanical bits there’s plenty of space inside. Front seat passengers will be able to stretch out and even wear a hat while those in the back won’t be much worse off. It’s no limo but it’s certainly better than you’d expect from this size of car. Open the boot and you’ll be pleasantly surprised again; it’s huge for a supermini although the load lip is a little high and does without a plastic trim. It’s a minor thing but I’d worry about scratching the paint when loading something heavy or bulky. More of an annoyance are the pair of charging leads in bags either side of the boot.

    Other manufacturers can hide them away so why can’t Renault?
    Style wise I think Renault are onto a winner. There are a few touches such as the blue rear lights and ‘ZE’ (zero emissions) badge that suggests electric propulsion but unlike cars like the G-Wizz or Renault’s own Twizy, these aren’t overt. Instead, you get a nicely sculpted shape that hides its height well. The only angle I’m not keen on is the rear; the feature lines that flank the number plate and lead into the bumper make it look a bit jowly. Inside is light, airy and modern with visually appealing plastics. Sure they’re hard to the touch but then you have to remember the cheapest Zoe is less than £14,000 including a £5,000 government grant. Even the top of the range model barely breaches £20,000. You’d spend an awful lot more on an electric Golf which would be a lot more austere too. At that price, you do need to lease a battery pack at between £70 and £113 a month. If you want to buy the battery outright then add £4500 to the base price.

    Renault’s 7” ‘R-Link’ infotainment system works well being easy to navigate, easy to pair a phone to via Bluetooth and lacking any sort of lag other systems sometimes suffer from. Sat-nav is an option but a CD player is not. For me, this isn’t really a problem as streaming music is simple plus you can always use the USB or aux port conveniently placed above a cubbyhole perfect for your media device. Conventional dials have been replaced by another TFT screen which I found clear and easy to use. There’s even a gauge to show you how much juice you’re using and when you’re charging the batteries whilst slowing down. This becomes a very useful tool when you’re looking to maximise the car’s range.

    Speaking of range, Renault suggests that on average you’ll need to charge up every 80 miles. In practice, this distance is totally achievable as long as you change your driving style to suit electric power. Gentle acceleration and deceleration is vital as is maintaining your speed where possible. While this may sound like hassle, the reality is that it’s actually pretty relaxing. You soon get used to barely touching the brake pedal, instead relying on the car’s regenerative brakes that harvest energy as you start coasting. What may grate is that air-con and heating take a chunk out of the range; not an issue on short commutes but potentially a worry on longer journeys. Still, chargers are popping up all the time and the most powerful can squeeze 80% of a full charge into the Zoe in 30 minutes.

    So what’s it like to drive? Being electric there’s only one forward gear plus reverse with no clutch at all. I suppose you could compare it to an automatic (there’s only a throttle and brake pedal) but with totally seamless acceleration. Performance below 40mph is actually pretty brisk, feeling much quicker than the numbers suggest. Over 40 it does struggle a little as the torque drops off significantly. 70mph is achievable but it drains the battery very very quickly; it’s better to stick to 60 or below and relax. The ride is fairly comfortable although the stiff sidewalls of the low profile economy tyres mean potholes and expansion joints can thump through the suspension into the cabin. There is a fair amount of body roll if you push it hard around a corner but it never feels unstable thanks to the low mounted batteries. You’d never call it fun or involving but it is very competent and not at all unpleasant, perfect for commuting in other words.

    With that in mind, it’s commuting that I did plenty of in my week with the car. Renault will supply all Zoes with a fast charger as plugging it into a normal electric socket gives a charging time of 16 hours. Thankfully I had access to a fast charger which ensured the car was always 100% charged at the end of the working day.

    In total, I travelled nearly 400 miles and came away very impressed. Only once did I suffer from any ‘range anxiety’ but even then I was able to get to a charger which topped up the battery enough to get me home after less than 45 minutes.

    Make no mistake, the Zoe won’t be for everyone. If you need to go more than 80 miles in a day and/or spend a lot of time on motorways then you’re better off sticking to a diesel. For the rest of us – a sizable majority – then the Zoe does make sense. It’s quiet, refined, easy to drive and very spacious while the styling is significantly nicer than the vast number of ‘eco’ cars. If I were in the market for a new supermini, the Zoe would be a serious contender.

    PROS

    Spacious

    Easy to drive

    Fast charging times
    Cons

    CONS

    Range could still be better

    Not much fun

    Charging cable storage could be better

  • Valentines Day Land Rover Style

    Jaguar & Land Rover have confirmed the Jaguar C-X75, Range Rover Sport SVR and Defender Big Foot will feature in the new Bond film SPECTRE. The Jag will be the baddies’ wheels for the main car chase against the Aston Martin DB10 in Rome while the Landies have been spotted in Austria. Jaguar’s press site interestingly refers to C-X75s plural rather than singular. Whether the multiple vehicles will be needed for destructive purposes or if there are a couple of C-X75s chasing/being chased by Bond is something we will have to wait to find out.

    (more…)

  • The Week In Cars – Ferrari or Porsche?

    Porsche have shown us the hottest Cayman yet, the GT4. As suggested by spy shots, it gains a much more aggressive body kit with a fixed rear wing along with 20 inch wheels.

    (more…)

  • MOTORING: Ten Soft Tops For Summer Under £5k

    You might think I’m insane for suggesting you buy an open car in the middle of winter but there is method to my madness.

     

    Quite rightly you’ll be thinking that you’ll barely ever get the roof down and you might as well get something with more than a bit of canvas between you and the elements. Unsurprisingly, everyone else will be thinking the same ensuring demand is low as are prices. Just £700 will get you into the cheapest car on the list while others have hard roofs that leave them feeling very similar to a regular car. Whether you just want to look good and catch some sun or if you want something that carves through corners and devours straights, there’s a car on the list for you. If not, please feel free to share what you’ve found!

    1. Volkswagen Golf Mk3 Convertible – £700

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/volkswagen/golf-mk3-mk4/volkswagen-golf-2-0-avantgarde-convertible-manual-only-two-owners-good-condition-mot-till-october-2015-electric-hood/2688004

    Topless thrills don’t have to cost thousands, this Golf is cheap to buy, cheap to insure with a classic policy and should prove pretty reliable too. Although it’s 20 years old it still has plenty of toys although don’t expect it to be the most exciting car to drive. With an MOT till October, you could use it until autumn next year and sell it for what you paid for it. Alternatively, tidy the car up and it could be a reliable retro ride for many years to come.

    1. Ford StreetKa – £1476
      http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ford/streetka/ford-streetka-1-6i-2dr/3035341

    Don’t just think of this as a regular Ka with the roof sawn off, Ford spent a lot of time and money re-engineering this with a bigger engine and wider, stiffer suspension. It’s no rocketship but it’ll still feel quick enough around town and be a hoot round bends. You do lose 2 seats compared to the hatchback but you gain a much more stylish rump. Being a Ford, it should be cheap to run and pretty reliable. If it does go wrong, parts are cheap.

    1. Fiat Barchetta – £1950

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/fiat/barchetta/fiat-barchetta-convertibl-1998/2441591

    Fancy a sexy Italian for the summer? How about the Fiat Barchetta? A rare sight on UK roads, probably thanks to them being left hand drive only, they’re a good looking alternative to the ubiquitous Mazda MX-5. Underneath it’s based on the Fiat Punto meaning predictable front wheel drive handling and fairly cheap running costs. It also means that if it does go wrong, which it might, bits are cheap. A lively 135 bhp engine makes the car pretty nippy and they handle well too.

    1. Toyota MR-2 MK-3 – £2795

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/toyota/mr2/toyota-mr2-mk3-roadster—————–2003/3021610

    If your main reason for buying a sports car is that you love driving, the MR-2 needs your attention. Although it’s not the prettiest car here, it’s light, mid engined and rear wheel drive. Add feelsome steering and an engine with just enough power to make things interesting and you have the ingredients for serious fun. Being a Toyota, it’ll be endlessly reliable and servicing shouldn’t be too costly either. It won’t be overly practical and there’s only room for one passenger but hey, your friends can always take the bus.

    1. MG Midget £3450

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mg/midget/1979-mg-midget-1500/3088628

    You don’t have to spend a great deal to get a proper classic like this MG Midget. You do have to be careful to avoid buying a rusty old money pit, however this dry stored example should be a good bet. The mechanicals are simple (the engine is shared with the original Mini) so don’t expect modern levels of grip, braking or safety. The upshot is that you don’t have to go fast to have fun and the kind of looks that you just don’t get anymore. Be prepared to get your hands dirty though, MGs can be temperamental.

    1. Smart Roadster £4500

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/smart-car/roadster/smart-roadster-80-rhd-2dr-auto-fsh-low-mileage/2826209
    In many respects this Smart Roadster is the modern day MG Midget. It’s similarly tiny, shares its engine with an economy car and is cheap to run. Available only as a semi-automatic, it could be argued the slow witted and clumsy gearbox ruins the car. Learn to work with it and you’ll find a chuckable chassis, accurate steering and a great sounding turbocharged engine. The looks are Marmite and storage limited but they are bloody good fun. It’s easy to squeeze a few more horsepower from the engine too.

    1. Jeep Wrangler – £4450

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/jeep/wrangler/jeep-wrangler-4-0-petrol-limited-edition-65k-mileage/3222334Just because you’re buying a car to enjoy in the summer doesn’t mean it won’t prove invaluable in winter. This Jeep Wrangler offers a removable roof for the sun and 4 wheel drive with chunky tyres for the snow. The brick like aerodynamics and massive 4.0 litre engine will mean you’ll be very friendly with your local petrol station attendant but they are at least pretty reliable. Wranglers are very much an old school 4×4 so don’t expect the best road manners either.

    1. Mercedes SL320 £4490

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mercedes-benz/sl/mercedes-sl-320——————1994/3102387

    If I was picking the classiest drop top from this list, the SL would win every time. This immaculate 1994 car comes with one of the smaller engines of the range which should save a few quid on petrol and servicing. Besides, the SL is not really about going fast, it’s about looking good. It also comes with a removable hard top to keep the heat in and car thieves out. Classic insurance won’t be expensive and old SLs tend to go up in value if you look after them….

    1. BMW M3 Evo – £4995

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/e36-m3-92-99/bmw-e36-m3-evo–low-mileage–3-keys/2895944

    Here’s a convertible that’ll really put the wind in your hair thanks to over 300 bhp from a brawny straight 6 engine. This 1996 example has been well looked after and comes in the best colour too. Inside is leather and luxury while you can even seat 4 at a push. Being an M3, parts and servicing will be on the expensive side as will the fuel bills. If you like the looks but don’t need the performance or expense, consider the lower powered 318i, 320i or 325i, they’re much cheaper to buy and run.

    1. Renault Wind – £4988

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/renault/wind/renault-wind-1-6-vvt-dynamique-s-2dr/3199982

    Once you’ve stopped laughing at the stupid name, the Wind is well worth your consideration. For a start, this is only 4 years old with just 36000 miles. For seconds it shares a lot with the Renaultsport Twingo, a great little hot hatch and for thirds it’s actually practical for a 2 seat roadster. A clever folding hardtop gives plenty of boot space that isn’t impacted when the roof is stowed (unlike a Merc SLK or Peugeot 308CC) and avoids a massive arse. The name killed sales in the UK so they’re rare but well worth tracking down.