Renault has strengthened its best-selling Clio line-up with the introduction of a top-of-the-range Signature Nav version.

• New Clio Signature Nav top-of-the-range trim level available, sitting above Dynamique S Nav, in line with the rest of the Renault range
• New Clio Signature Nav gains Hands Free Parking, part-leather upholstery, reverse parking camera with 360-degree parking sensors and Renault R-Link multimedia system as standard
• New Renault Clio Signature Nav available to order now from £17,715 OTR
• New Renault Clio range starts from £11,915 OTR

Renault has strengthened its best-selling Clio line-up with the introduction of a top-of-the-range Signature Nav version. 

Offering drivers greater choice and heightening the appeal of the iconic Clio which was updated in late 2016, the enhancements introduce even higher levels of comfort and convenience to the supermini. 

The New Clio Signature Nav is available to order now from £17,715 on-the-road.

Based on the already extensively-equipped Dynamique S version, the Signature specification adds black part-leather upholstery with heated front seats and height-adjustable passenger seat together with hands-free parking, rear parking camera, 360-degree parking sensors and Renault R-Link Multimedia system with 7-inch touchscreen with TomTom LIVE Satellite Navigation system. 

The Clio Signature is priced from £17,715 OTR – a premium of £1,450 over the Dynamique S Nav but with £2,250 of additional equipment.  

Buyers can specify the Signature with a choice of two diesels or two petrol engines and in either EDC efficient dual clutch automatic or manual transmission.

The Clio Signature’s additional equipment builds upon an extensive specification that includes 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, full LED front and rear headlamps with integrated daytime running lights, leather steering wheel, hands free keycard and electrically heated and folding door mirrors.

The New Clio was introduced in October 2016 and with the launch of this new top-of-the-range version, Clio customers are now able to choose from a total of five trim levels, plus two Renault Sport models.

The New Renault Clio range starts from £11,915 OTR and comes with a four-year warranty and Renault Assistance package as standard.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

New Clio version	Power (hp @ rpm)	Torque (Nm @ rpm)	0-62mph (sec)	Top speed (mph)
Signature Nav TCe 90	90@5,250	135@2,500	12.2	112
Signature Nav TCe 120	120@5,500	205@2,000	9	124
Signature Nav TCe 120 EDC Auto	120@5,500	205@2,000	9.2	124
Signature Nav dCi 90	90@4,000	220@1,750	12	112
Signature Nav dCi 90 EDC Auto	90@4,000	220@1,750	12.9	109
Signature Nav dCi 110	110@4,000	260@1,750	11.2	121

PRICING

New Clio version	CO2 (g/km)	MPG (combined)	BIK	VED Band	Price (OTR)
Signature Nav TCe 90	105	60.1	18%	B	£17,715
Signature Nav TCe 120	118	53.3	20%	C	£18,615
Signature Nav TCe 120 EDC Auto	120	52.3	21%	C	£19,915
Signature Nav dCi 90	85	85.6	18%	A	£19,115
Signature Nav dCi 90 EDC Auto	92	80.7	18%	A	£20,415
Signature Nav dCi 110	90	80.7	18%	A	£19,815

TMW - The Suzuki Vitara S, the off roader that thinks its a sports car and more !

The current generation of the Suzuki Vitara is the fourth version of the worldwide hit that's been around since 1988, so nearly three decades, quality has been improved over and above many other cars, technology that is normally only found on more expensive cars has found it's way onto this car and others within the Suzuki family.

The Vitara S model tested here, is one of two S variants, the other being the automatic version, however, within the entire Vitara range, price wise it sits roughly in the middle, and that's about where the car needs to be, it has everything you need from this type of car, with a few toys, decent economy, comfy well appointed seats and more.

Firstly we will start of with the looks, the all new model is less square than the third generation, personally i liked that model, however, this new generation Vitara is a "tour De force", starting with the Boosterjet 1.4 litre engine, this is a really surprising power-plant, for such a heavy car, 1730kg gross weight, the little engine just oozes power, and it just keeps on giving. 

The torque on this car tops out at 220 ft lb, and with a wide banding between 1500 - 4000rpm, you get a large power band and that's great, it means you have good pull away speed and decent motorway cruising, so the best of all worlds, Suzuki have gotten this model spot on.

inside the car is brilliant, you have so much room, no matter whether, Driver, passenger or rear seat inhabitant, the high roof line gives you loads of glass area to see all around you, the drivers seat has a myriad of positions, along with  the steering wheel means you have every opportunity to get comfortable and you do, very, whether a short or long journey, you never leave the car uncomfortable or have any discomfort.

The same in the back, albeit with fixed seating, the rear passengers have very comfortable seating with plenty of head room and leg room, three biggish people in the back might be a little bit of a squeeze, but two will be adequately looked after, and as a family car, this suits 99% of all needs.

The boot space is cavernous and will take all the luggage a normal family would have, and can eat a big weekly shop, with room to spare.

Driving the car is very easy, with the lightest steering to the make driving easy, the gear change too is very easy with a light clutch, but not too soft, the display on the dash keeps you in the right gear at all times with an up and down arrow telling you where you should be, and if you keep the car in the right gear, and with that the manufacturers claimed fuel consumption is

• Urban 44.8mpg
• Extra Urban 56.5mpg
• Combined 52.3mpg

So not bad at all, although i never managed to get to these numbers, i was not that far away from them, but abuse the speed, which at the top end is 124mph and that will be significantly lower, again giving the car beans at a junction you can get from 0-62mph in a tad over 10 seconds, not supercar speeds, but for a 1.4 litre in an off roader and you will see that its not bad at all.

Driving on the road, and you get a different aspect to the car, its brilliant, that's all i can say, the car goes well, and stops equally as well, and driving along it is reasonably quiet too, you can have a conversation without the need to shout at each other, which in other cars you have to do.

The Vitara grips the road really well too, taking corners at a speed in this car is easy and uncomplicated it is like a train on tracks, the car just goes where you point it, the car is really good in all aspects, i have driven far more expensive cars and had a far worse experience, at £22,749 inclusive of the optional paint at £430, its not badly priced either.

but it does not end there, this car has a massive list of standard equipment, some of which are :-

• ALLGrip 4WD System
• ABS with EBD and Brake Assist
• HillHold Control and Hill Descent Control
• A suite of seven airbags
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
• Radar Brake Support
• Immobiliser and Alarm
• Central Looking
• Engine Auto Stop/Start
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Front and Rear parking Sensors
• Rear Parking Camera
• Information Display
• Keyless Entry and Start
• Auto Air Conditioning
• Auto headlights
• Folding and heated Door Mirrors
• Satellite Navigation
• Bluetooth
• Rear Privacy Glass

And more, far far more, in fact there is an entire sheet of spec for this car, which makes this one of the best specified off roaders for the price you can buy, my personal favourite is the Adaptive Cruise Control, where the car will slow down without you doing a thing, when it "See's" another car getting close in front and then pulling away again to your set speed, i love that, i first encountered it on a very expensive Volvo, then again on the Suzuki Baleno we tested here a few months back, and now again, so it goes to show, you do not need a mega expensive car to have this type of technology.

OVERALL

The Vitara is a number of cars rolled into one, it's a family car, its an off roader, where you can choose between Snow/Mud mode, and Sport mode, which will be the general road driving style, it has loads of room everywhere, comes with a huge amount of kit, four wheel drive, decent fuel economy, comfortable cheap to run and so much more.

This should be seriously considered the next time you are ready to change you car, even if you're not after an off roader, this offers all round car characteristics, so much so that you can be forgiven for not realising you are in a 4x4.

TMW - The Peugeot 308 GT Line, two cars in one is the only way to describe this great car.

The Peugeot 308 GT Line is a "best of both worlds" model, the three cylinder 1.2 litre engine gives you the economy, yet gives the same power output as a bigger engine within the range, so allowing you GTi levels of fun, without the bills that might be incurred with that sportier version.

The car tested here comes with EAT6 (Efficient Automatic Gearbox), which to be honest is probably one of the smoothest auto boxes out there, take the car at a steady pace and you only notice the gear changes by watching the rev counter rise and fall at each change of gear, even when pushed you only notice a small amount of vocal change when it changes gear, however, this is nothing to worry about.

The engineers have worked hard to make this car seem like a more powerful, faster car than it actually is, that said, this car can achieve 124mph and the sprint to 62mph takes a moderately quick 9.8 seconds, not the fastest, but then this is not the GTi version, and because of that slower get away, and three cylinder engine the car should be capable of achieving :-

• Urban - 47.9mpg
• Extra Urban - 65.7mpg
• Combined - 57.6mpg

Not the best figures in the world, but for a car like this it's up there with equivalent models, the swift gear change enhances the progress of the car, and even though this is a 1.2 litre, you would never guess it once behind the steering wheel, it really is a sheep in wolves clothing.

The brand is well known for low CO₂ , and this model is another low figure, however, it is not the lowest of the GT Line range, in fact it is the highest at 112g/km, still a low number though with the GT Line ranging from 98-112g/km.

The 308 has loads of room both front and rear, you are never left wanting in the space dept, and once you are comfortable in the driver's seat, even if you are of limited mobility, there are a myriad of directions the seat can be moved into, so you will always feel comfortable, the bolsters on the seat keep you in place when you take a corner a little too quickly, the lovely leather clad steering wheel is small, and yet perfect for this car, it's like a little pocket rocket.

The small steering wheel serves a purpose as it makes the i-Cockpit dashboard design easier to see, that means the dash dials are raised high in front of the driver, making it easier to watch the road without having to take your eyes to the dials for too long, it is easier to do than explain, and it works very very well.

The car tested here came with the panoramic glass sunroof (£500), giving a great deal of light into the car, which, considering it is mainly black, is very handy, the Ultimate Red (£675) and the Driver Assistance Pack (£450), everything else you could need is fitted as standard like :-

• Cruise Control
• Auto Park Assistance
• Rear View Camera
• Front and Rear sensors
• PureTech Engine of the year 2015 & 2016
• Folding Door Mirrors
• Automatic Parking Brake
• Full all round Electric Windows

To name just a few, the interior of the car is very well appointed, whether covered in perforated leather with a red background, or nice soft touch rubberised plastics, the entire surroundings are a pleasure to be in, and the seating and driving experience are near to perfection.

Rear space is ample, especially when you have a six footer in the front seats, boot space is equally as big, offering more than sufficient space for your weekly shopping, luggage to go away, or with the seats down, enough to take some decent sized furniture, and at this price, £22,645 (Plus Options), you would be hard pressed to find a car that has this amount of quality, and with the specification included too, not to mention the decent looks that this car has.

Finally, driving this car you get a feeling of silence, everything from the door locks, starting the car and driving along, all are muffled, you get the feeling that you are in a far superior, luxury car, and now that the car has gone back to Peugeot, I feel like I miss it, a great deal, and I have not said that about many cars, if you are looking for a car in this class, you would be daft not to put this at the top of the list.

It is also to be noted that those of a less mobile nature, will find this car extremely easy to drive and live with, you can get in and out without difficulty, the car has a low running cost, to help keep the pennies under control, and regardless of which model you buy within the 308 range, you will never be left wanting.

The Motoring World
Jon Mower