Renault Clio long-term test: report 8

The Car Renault Clio 1.0 TCe 90 Evolution Run by Jonty Renk, senior videographer

Why it’s here To prove that you don’t need to break the bank to have a fantastic small car

Needs to Offer a versatile and practical interior for camera gear storage while being small and nimble enough to drive in a busy city

Mileage 8814 List price £17,795 Target Price £16,462 Price as tested £18,695 Official economy 54.3mpg Test economy 53.5mpg

2 September 2024 – Back seat driver

Our data from real-world car buyers shows that rear seat space isn’t all that important to most people that are looking to buy a small car like my Renault Clio. That doesn’t mean that you’ll never use the rear bench, though, and that’s the exact situation that I found myself in recently, when I took my Clio away for the week as a group of three.

As the friend group's ‘car person’, it’s often the case that I’m the designated driver whenever we have a day out planned which requires a car. Unexpectedly though, and aligned with our research, I realised that this was my first proper use of the Clios rear seats since it became my company car.

I think my friends were nervous about who would be left on the rear bench, since I spotted them playing ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ for the short straw of sitting in the back – though as it turns out, they need not have been.

It was easy for the game's loser to get on board, because the Clio's doors open wider than those of some small car rivals, and once in, my friend noted that that the space on offer was comfortable enough, if not exactly palatial.

Indeed, at a modest 5ft 9in tall, his head was touching the roof lining and his knees were almost touching the front seat back in front.

Still, he noted that shoulder room was okay if nothing special, but that a fold-down armrest from the middle seat would have been a nice touch for the long drive ahead.

And while none of us are yet at the stage in life where we're having children, the Clio's relatively wide seat bases would, I reckon, leave you plenty of room for two child car seats. For something even more versatile, you'd need to look at the larger and more expensive Honda Jazz.

For our needs, and for this trip, my Clio provided comfortable transport, and showed that even if you don't use them regularly, small cars can offer all the space you need for a longer drive with rear passengers – even if sitting back there comes as a result of losing a playground game.

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