Today, we start with the first part of "Tale of Two Clios". The green car in the picture is a 2000 Renault Clio Grande, which was a special edition produced somewhere towards the end of the first phase of the Mk2 Renault Clio's life (it was facelifted shortly afterwards). Many years ago, a friend asked me to sell hers, and I duly obliged. This particular car had a 1.2 litre eight valve petrol engine developing 60 bhp, as well as some jazzy seat trim and a six disc CD autochanger under the front seat for some reason.
The D7F engine was used in many Renault products from 1996 onwards, and was still in the Renault Twingo Mk2 in 2014. The 16 valve variant, however, known as the D4F, was in even more products, and was the key unit in the delectable Dacia Sandero until earlier this year, producing an astonishing 75 bhp.
The Clio Grande itself was a special edition (hence the jazzy seat trim and the CD autochanger), based on the mid-range RN model. The performance was leisurely when I drove it, and the engine was quite noisy, but I imagine it must have been quite economical. The dashboard plastics were also pretty nasty, and some of the controls were haphazardly laid out.
In finest French tradition, the gearbox and clutch were a bit spongy and vague with long travel, and the driving position was a little uncomfortable. Also, the back seats were very cramped, with very limited headroom, especially with a taller driver at the wheel.
The car had also developed a few faults by this stage, but at over ten years old, that is by no means uncommon, and at least parts for Clios are cheap and plentiful. The car was eventually traded in against one of my own, and my friend did get her cash in the end.
Part two of the story tomorrow!
