Renault’s alliance with Nissan may well mean that the two are making progress towards a cleaner tomorrow through the development of electric cars, but with nothing due to hit the roads until 2011, what about today?
Well, Renault has the answer, introducing its cleanest ever Clio, in fact its cleanest production car full stop, set to produce just 98g/km of C02, bringing it in line with many the most popular greener hatchbacks such as the SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive, Volvo C30 and Skoda Fabia GreenLine.
The host of refinements to boost fuel efficiency don’t just mean a 17g per km reduction in CO2 but also mean that the Clio can achieve an amazing 76.3 mpg. Renault made a series of improvements to the aerodynamic, engine and tyres to eek out the miles to a tank, among other things reducing co-efficient drag from 0.725 to 0.69 CdA.
Better still; the carmaker says the new Clio dCi 86 eco2 will cost the same as the current 115g/km C02 versions, giving added incentive to go green. This move below the 100g/km tax threshold doesn’t just mean that the new Clio will be road tax free but means it also offers theoretical range of 923 miles between fill-ups.
Its greenest production car yet, the French carmaker will offer the new model in three- and five-door guise. The Clio’s range of petrol engine options has also recently boosted by the introduction of a Euro5-compliant TCe 100 with CO2 emissions reduced to 129g/km, representing a gain of 8g/km. This will also save owners £150 in road tax from April.
Details of the new model have been released ahead of its unveiling at the Brussels Motor Show which opens to the press tomorrow.
It will be available to order in France from 9th February but Renault are keeping quiet about when it will be available to order here, simply stating ‘later this year in UK’.
