Renault’s Clio hybrid is a gem of a car and the Captur is the best of both worlds
IGNORE the French numberplates and the tiller on the left.
Because I’m in Buckinghamshire, not Bordeaux.
Covid and quarantine spannered the international launch of Renault’s new hybrid line-up, as they have most things this year.
So rather than test eco-friendly versions of Clio and Captur on marble-smooth roads somewhere sunny, Renault was forced to send them here.
Which is good because our lumpy, cheese-grater roads immediately show up any chassis weaknesses.
Now let’s start with Clio.
What a gem this car is. I’ve said it before but Clio has matured over the last 30 years like a fine wine in a French chateau.
Superb ride-quality, fizzy engines, low driving position and a plush, soft-touch cabin crowned by an upended iPad that warns of speed cameras and flags up fuel prices.
It’s almost as though this car was engineered by an actual person who leads an actual life.
The new E-Tech hybrid is the cherry on top.
The 1.6-litre petrol/electric combo gives you extremely good performance and economy — 140hp and 62mpg — and because the battery charges itself on the move, there’s no faffing about with a plug.
It’s the smoothest transition towards our electric future.
Clio starts in electric, reverses in electric and has a B-mode for stronger regenerative braking. Which also means you can drive using only the throttle pedal if you’re good enough at anticipating traffic flow.
Why Renault no longer sells Clio by the boatload in the UK baffles me.
This car is neck-and-neck with the VW Golf for No1 spot in Europe but hasn’t made our top-ten sales charts for years.
Maybe it’s because Renault slashed its UK dealers by a third in the last recession.
Maybe it’s down to rubbish advertising. No more Papa? Nicole?
Maybe it’s because the exterior designers have done the square root of not much at all in recent years while cars like the Ford Fiesta and Peugeot 208 have been restyled and look mint.
I’d say it’s a combination of all of those things because the Clio E-tech is brilliant value at £19,595 and right up there alongside the Fiesta as best supermini.
Finance from £269 a month with £1,000 deposit.
Now let’s consider the small-but-tall Captur E-Tech, which gives you the best of both worlds as a plug-in hybrid.
Super-low emissions, up to 30 miles on pure electric, but expensive at £30k, even with a free wallbox. That’s £12k more than a standard petrol Captur.
Key facts
Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid
Price: £19,595
Engine: 1.6-litre petrol with 1.2kWh battery
Power: 140hp
0-62mph: 9.9 secs
Top speed: 112mph
Economy: 64mpg
CO2: 98g/km
Out: October
You need to top up the battery for three hours to get the most out of your Captur E-Tech. But if you never stray far from home you might never use a drop of fuel.
It makes even more sense for company-car drivers, with Benefit In Kind at ten per cent.
Just ignore the quite frankly ridiculous 188mpg because that’s from a lab test.
As for the cabin, Captur uses all the best bits from Clio and adds lots of handy stowage, a sliding rear bench and more space in all directions. Classy and clever, combined with sensibly placed switches.
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Like a simple button to turn off the annoying lane assist. Hallelujah. And big dials for the air-con.
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To sum up, then. Renault now covers every shade of green with its small cars.
There’s the self-charging Clio hybrid, Captur plug-in hybrid and pure-electric Zoe that does 245 miles non-stop.
Tres bien.
Key facts
Renault Captur E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid
Price: £30,495
Engine: 1.6-litre petrol with 9.8kWh battery
Power: 160hp
0-62mph: 10.1 secs
Top speed: 107mphEconomy: 188mpg
Electric range: 30 milesCO2: 34g/kmOut: October
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