New Clio is European Shed of the Year

Newswheel staff :: 17 November 2005 :: Filed under Hatchback, Renault, Renault Clio, Europe & UK

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Renault takes the gong

That’s right folks. The pathologically dreary new Renault Clio is the European Car of the Year for 2006. The Clio somehow managed to head up a 28-strong list of Europe’s finest, including the VW Passat, Alfa Romeo 159 and BMW 3 Series.

The Clio pipped the Passat by 256 sore bottoms (points, surely?) to 251. Now, we’ve already driven the Clio here at Newswheel. But so comprehensively did the car’s dullness drain our collective life force, we didn’t have the strength to write up the road test. It really is that boring. Even the variable valve-timed 1.6-litre model can eat your soul from 100 yards away. Still, we do hold out some hope for the upcoming RenaultSport model. There’s an underlying competence to the chassis that may bode well for a more powerful model. And anyone who’s driven a bargain basement version of the outgoing Clio will know that RenaultSport are a deft hand at the old sow’s ear / silk purse thang.

"If you could move just a few steps to your left…"

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