Renault Clio Expression 2014 Long-term review - 5

‘Our’ little Clio has been on a variety of adventures since it arrived in the motoring.com.au carpark in January. And it has largely impressed with its combination of modern styling, reasonable amenity, frugal engine and a chassis that strikes a nice balance between ride and handling.

The abovementioned attributes have been almost universally agreed by all who’ve driven the Clio Expression during its stay, but there’s also been a few opinion-dividers thrown in for good measure.

Chief among these is the Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) transmission. For some it was fine in slow and swift situations alike; others thought it lacked decisiveness at low speed but smoothed out on the highway, and still others would prefer taking the revvy manual 0.9-litre three-pot version of the Clio Expression in a heartbeat… and pocket the $2000 difference in list price.

By the time I drove our long-termer, the Clio’s drivetrain had loosened up nicely with mileage, the 1.2-litre four-cylinder trubo-petrol feeling keener throughout the rev-range than a near-zero kilometre Clio GT I recently tried (they share the same driveline). It was still possible to catch the EDC between gears, and I had to left-foot brake on a couple of occasions during hill starts, but once flowing the transmission’s responsiveness, and smoothness, improved markedly.

Another area of concern has been the lack of visibility. A combination of small rear window, upward sloping side window frames and thick B-pillars ensured head checks lingered longer than they should; not ideal when you are surrounded by trucks on the busy Monash Freeway.

Change the surface to unsealed and the trucks to those of a logging persuasion, and the relatively pliant suspension setup and responsive chassis of the Clio delivered assured progress, the electric stability control system never far away, ready to straighten the car should, say, a logging truck come speeding around a blind corner.

On these mixed surfaces the Clio’s steering was reasonably assured, however, braking – both on and off tarmac – was a weaker point, needing a lot of pedal pressure before gaining decent retardation. Additionally, it’s 2014 and we should be beyond drum rear brakes, no matter how cheap and cheerful the vehicle.

Other thoughts? There were a couple of tacky finishes to the interior, including the ‘chrome’ button on the gear selector, and the high beams weren’t strong enough to cope with a streetlight-less Australian country road, but the satnav was easy to use as well as the Bluetooth phone connection (but not the audio streaming!).

Having picked up the car with a recorded 7.4L/100km, it was returned with 7.0L/100km consumption; less than big-boot Bruce, more than featherweight Feann… and around 25 per cent above the manufacturer’s claimed figure.

As we prepare to hand the Clio back to Renault, there is no doubt that it will be remembered fondly for just what it is – a relatively efficient, five-door small hatch with a good dose of cargo capacity and flexibility, intuitive satnav, air-con and cutting-edge style for under $20,000.

Add to that a solid improvement in Renault’s aftersales service, with five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty (including roadside assistance for that period) and a three year/45,000km capped-price servicing arrangement and you have a small hatch offering which is pretty compelling. It even works for young families, as Nadine proved. We’ll miss you, Clio.

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