Already in the news this week for its progress in launching electric cars, Renault is taking the spotlight again for launching what looks to be the cheapest sub 100g/km CO2 car.
And no it is not some sort of glorified buggy either-it’s the familiar Clio in new Expression Eco form which will be priced from £12,200-£2,410 less than the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion.
Featuring the latest downsized engine, the Energy 1.6 dCi 130 with Stop-Start, the new Expression Eco is available as a three or five door model with optional ‘Expression Eco Pack’ costing £250 extra. On top of the engineering tweaks under the bonnet such as revised engine mapping and taller gearing, the optional ‘Eco Pack’ offers 15" Aero wheel trims with body-coloured Aero rear spoiler and ultra-low resistance tyres; which lower the CO2 emissions by 12g/km compared to standard dCi 88 to just 94g/km. Fuel economy is improved 2.1 mpg compared to the old Clio model, up to 78.4 mpg on combined cycle.
Costing only £12,450 with the optional pack included, the three-door Clio is a full £1,445 less than the equivalent low-emission Ford Fiesta Econetic (£13,895 OTR) and a considerable £2,410 less than the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion (£14,860 OTR).
With diesel now costing over £1.40 per litre, owners of the latest fuel-sipping Renault eco2 model will be pleased to learn that they won’t have to visit the dreaded pumps very often, with a wallet-friendly 949 miles on offer between fill-ups.
Bolstering the cost savings of running’s the French marque’s latest ‘green’ model, it also benefits from zero Vehicle Excise Duty, London Congestion Charge exemption, and for business customers, 100% Capital Write Down Allowance and low benefit-in-kind rating of only 13%.
London residents will be able to more than recoup the cost of the optional £250 pack in less than a year, based on exemption from £244 worth of Congestion Charge after including 90 per cent residents’ discount and £10 registration fee, plus £110 on improved fuel economy compared to the standard dCi 88 over 12,000 miles. Non-residents would be better off to the tune of almost £2,500, based on the same fuel cost saving and exemption from the £9 Auto Pay weekday charge.
