The first ever estate version of the small Clio surprises everyone: with its dimensions, design, engine and even the ride itself.
The segment of smaller estate cars does not have many representatives today, only the Škoda Fabia Combi, Seat Ibiza ST and our Clio Grandtour. Among them, the Renault has the most modern impression, which it owes not only to the shape of the body and front grille, but also to the interior itself. It is thanks to them and the affordability that this charismatic vehicle is a strong competitor for relatively established players.
Renault and its modern vehicle design have both opponents and supporters, but it has achieved the goal of partial unification of appearance and has indicated the character of individual models through slight differences.
They try to be simply different, rather than as if they should adapt. We find more atypical design solutions on the Clia Grandtour body, all of which are represented by distinctive headlights with a massive manufacturer's logo in the middle of the grille, four side pillars, a slight lowering of the rear of the vehicle and unusual plastic coating of the lower parts of the doors. The interior is a chapter in itself, ergonomics and sci-fi were apparently the central motifs of the French designers' brainstorming.
The Renault Clio Grandtour is offered by Avis car rental combined with a 1.2-liter gasoline engine, the domain of which is extremely low operating costs and a favorable power of 75 horsepower. With a consumption of only 5.5 liters of fuel per 100 km of driving, this vehicle is ideal not only for the city, but also for longer routes outside the larger Slovak cities. The 1.2-liter unit is combined with a manual 5-speed gearbox, in which the creators won with the accuracy of shifting and the gradation of individual gears.
The interior of the small, large vehicle provides ample space for four passengers, while those in the front seats can enjoy a modern-looking dashboard and center console. A larger glossy surface with rounded edges contains a color display with basic rotary selectors and control buttons. The distinctive chrome trim of the edges of the individual surfaces continues on the steering wheel with a similar visual treatment in its lower half.
Despite the fact that the Clio Grandtour is a car for an adult and mature driver, it still tries to appeal to younger generations. The interior design certainly meets this criterion thanks to the wider multimedia and communication equipment, which included a CD/MP3 player, navigation on a color display, Bluetooth connection with a mobile phone and effective safety features. A self-evident part of the interior is fully automatic window control, control buttons on the steering wheel, a central information display with a digital tachometer and air conditioning.
Renault Clio Grandtour with a length of 4,267 and a height of 1,445 mm can also appeal to people who find hatchbacks too "youthful" and small. The Grandtour designation does not add significantly more space to the vehicle, but it certainly wins in terms of interior space variability. Not only the rear seats can be folded, but also the passenger seat. Clio in its larger version does not lose its fun and aggressiveness, but at the same time it looks a little more serious, mature and, given the extreme variability of space, also useful.