News: Renault ditches Scenic, launches XMOD

Renault has decided to stop making the Scenic. That might sound like a bit of a shock, but hang on, the devil is in the detail. The seven-seat Grand Scenic will continue on as one of Europe's best-selling medium-sized MPVs, but the five-seat Scenic is now going to be dropped, and replaced by a new model called the Scenic XMOD. 

Road Test: Citroen DS3 Cabrio 1.6 THP 155 DSport

Price as tested:

+ Cute styling, eager chassis, neat roof, refinement, engine
– Very little really
= Small, fun, affordable. Lovely.

There is not enough fun in our lives anymore. We sit at home, commute to work or shop at the weekend surrounded by the worst kinds of depression. A constant barrage of promissory notes, of legal or political controversy. Joe Duffy, 6-1 and Vincent Browne have sucked the very laughter from our lungs, and when we peek out onto our driveways, there's usually little enough joy to be had there, either. A succession of grey, sliver, black and dark blue hatchbacks and saloons, all purchased with an overriding obsession for low Co2 emissions and frugality. Of fun, there is little or none.

It doesn't have to be like this. It was once the case that fun cars were either too expensive, too impractical or too unreliable to be bought by the majority of us but that has long since changed.

Take, as an exemplar, this new Citroen DS3 cabrio. Citroen's revival of the DS badge has been a huge success for the French firm, a rare glimmer of such at a time of retrenchment and falling sales for the big three French car makers. In 30 months, 300,000 DS models have been sold globally, 200,000 of them the perky little DS3 hatch.

In Ireland, the success is rather more muted, if it's there at all. Citroen's sales have been nibbled away by the German premium boys at the top end and by the Korean warranty-wonders at the cheap end. The DS brand and the DS3 have failed to capture Irish hearts much, hardly a surprise when you remember both were introduced in the middle of 2009, when no-one was buying cars much at all, and few enough of them would even consider a quasi-premium sports hatch from a French manufacturer.

Let's get the Frenchy-ness, if that's what bothers you, out of the way with first. The DS3 feels distinctly Germanic inside thanks to high levels of quality and big, comfy seats. There's more space inside than its main Anglo-German rival, the Mini and outside, it's little short of gorgeous. Those chunky looks, that shark-fin b-pillar and the new 3D-effect tail lights all live up to the promise of the DS brand being the motoring answer to France's great luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Hermés.

And it really is fun. OK, so we've been testing the 150bhp 1.6 petrol turbo engine (a unit actually co-developed with BMW) which will only be available to special order in Ireland, but the DS3 cabrio brims over with fun. It's light on its toes and agile, and if it gives in too easily to lurching understeer (especially in the wet) when pushed, then at lower efforts it's bubbling and fizzing with enthusiasm for the drive.

The convertible roof is a neat installation, and given that it's really a glorified sunroof (the pillars and side rails of the roof remain in place) then it's rather well suited to Irish conditions. A 16-sec retract or replace time and the fact that you can lower or raise the roof at speeds of up to 120kmh means that you can take advantage of the scattered bright spells.

The boot, at 245-litres, is more practically sized than that of the Mini cabrio or the Fiat 500C, and the boot lid opens with a delightfully quirky motion, cantilevering up almost flush with the body. A shame that the actual boot opening is so small, meaning larger items won't go through to the space beyond, but it is an inevitable compromise for an open-top car.

Top down, and there's plenty of wind and fresh air to enjoy, but even at motorway pace, buffeting is kept to a minimum. Top up and refinement and insulation are excellent, aside from a tendency for road noise to echo up through the rear wheel arches. The optional roof colours include a deep indigo blue and a version woven with the DS logo, that stands millimetrically proud of the cloth and can be traced with your fingers.

You can't even use the excuse of purchase price or running costs to count yourself out of the fun fest. The basic 1.2 VTi petrol model will cost from around €21,500 and the main-selling 90bhp 1.4 HDI diesel, with its Band A 94g/km Co2 output, will be around €24,500. So if you're in the market for one of those dingy diesel hatchbacks (and don't strictly need the cabin or boot space) you can afford one of these.

The launch of the DS3 was a new beginning for the DS name, resurrected from its legendary 1955 origins. The follow-on launches of the DS4 and DS5 haven't captured the same critical acclaim of the DS3, but perhaps can be best described as the end of the new beginning. The DS brand's future will snap more firmly into focus at this April's Shanghai motor show when a Mercedes CLA-sized three-box saloon, a compact SUV and a large executive model will all be shown off.

Will any of these new DS cars make more of an impact in the Irish market? It is, possibly, doubtful but that would be a crying shame. We can continue to buy the same grey, silver, blue and black hatches, we can continue to listen endlessly to Cooper, Hook, McWilliams, Kenny and Duffy. We can keep firm on our slide into national apathy.

Or we, some of us at least, could buy a cute French convertible, possibly painted in a bright, happy shade of yellow. We could open the roof on a rare sunny day and get some vitamin D. We could listen, on a rainy day, to the evocative sound of raindrops on the canvas roof. We could do all that safe in the knowledge that our motor tax and fuel bills will remain low and sensible. We could, in a vehicular sense, if nothing else, cheer up.

Facts & FiguresCitroen DS3 Cabrio 1.6 THP 155 DSport
Price as tested: €26,545Range price: €21,195 to €26,545Capacity: 1,598cc

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 240Nm

Top speed: 212kmh

0-100kmh: 7.4sec

Economy: 7.4l-100km (37.8mpg)

CO2 emissions: 137g/km
VRT Band: B2. €280 road tax

Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 87% adult, 71% child, 35% pedestrian, 83% safety assist

News: Citroen's DS range to double

We've already seen the DS3, DS4 and DS5 but now Citroen is about to embark on a doubling of the semi-premium DS range, and we'll see the first fruits at the Shanghai Motor Show in April.

That's when Citroen will debut concepts of three new DS models; a compact four-door saloon in the mould of the new Mercedes CLA, an SUV crossover to take on the likes of the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 and a large luxury car, a true successor to the original DS, drawing heavily on the well-received Numbero 9 concept (above).

The fact that the cars are being shown in Shanghai is no coincidence; the DS brand is seen as crucial to Citroen's success in the Chinese market, where the brand carries none of the baggage that it does in Europe.

DS has been a massive success for Citroen so far, with 300,000 models sold in just over two years, 200,000 of them the dinky little DS3 hatchback. Sales in Ireland have been pretty unspectacular so far though. In the UK, DS models account for 30% of Citroen's overall sales. Here, it's just 4% and the total sales figures barely break the 100 car barrier.  Citroen Ireland is planning a nationwide series of events for the DS range later this year though, with the newly-launched DS3 Cabrio as the centrepiece, not so much to try and flog DS models en masse as to re-introduce Irish car buyers to the mainstream Citroen range.

News: Peugeot's crucial crossover revealed

Peugeot's crucial new 2008 crossover has broken cover for the first time and it it couldn't be coming at a more significant time for the beleaguered French car maker.

Peugeot's woes over the past 12 months have been well-publicised, and even it's much-anticipated (and critically well received) 208 supermini simply hasn't sold in the numbers Peugeot needs it to. Which makes the 208-based 2008 more important than ever, as compact SUVs are one of the few growth markets in Peugeot's traditional European heartland right now, and is just the right segment to be entering if it wants to break into Asian and American markets in the future.

The 2008's 4.1-metre length pitches it straight against the likes of the Skoda Yeti, Nissan Juke and Opel Mokka, and although the range-topping engine will be the 150bhp 1.6-litre petrol turbo, expect most to be sold with either 1.4 or 1.6-litre HDI diesels.

No official figures yet, but it's safe to assume that there will be at least one sub-120g/km model, and possibly, given the 208's frugal nature, even a sub-100g/km version. Production starts at Mulhouse in France later this year, and the 2008 will also be built in burgeoning markets like Brazil and China.

These photos were not due to be released until the 2008's official debut at the Geneva motor show in March, but French website L'Argus got hold of them and once something's on t'internet, it's leaks ahoy...

Road Test: Citroen DS5 Hybrid4

Price as tested: €43,645

+ Style, technology, comfort, improved ride over standard car
– Still too firm, cramped in the back, not economical enough
= The best of the DS5 range by far

If ever you find yourself down the pub, debating whether or not cars can be considered as a form of art (I know, I know, not again...) then wait for everyone to exhaust their arguments and throw in the hand grenade that is the Citroen DS5 Hybrid4. It combination of looks (stunning enough that you’d seriously consider buying one just to be able to look at it every day) and technology (cutting edge diesel hybrid drivetrain) mean that it walks so deftly the line between art and science that everyone will have to re-set their arguments back to zero.

Which is not to say that it’s perfect. The DS5, as a whole, suffers from two significant issues. One; its ride quality is just too harsh and jittery for it to ever truly live up to its luxury billing (especially in an era when the formerly-rough-riding BMW 3 Series now glides over obstacles like a limo) and two; it’s a Citroen. Now, I count myself as a true fan of the great French marque, a Citroenista if you will, but the harsh fact of the market is that against the German ‘Big Three’ Citroen is a brand with a lot to prove in the premium segment.

This DS5 Hybrid4 is bringing some seriously cutting edge technology to the party though, and that might just be enough to allow it to jam a foot in the door. Up front lies Citroen’s familiar 163bhp 2.0-litre HDI diesel engine, which is, and always has been, a very fine unit. Behind, under the boot floor, lies a 37bhp electric motor, driving the rear wheels and fed by a stack of rechargeable batteries. We’ve become used to hybrids ever since Toyota introduced the Prius, but the DS5 (along with its cousin, the Peugeot 3008 Hy4) is the first to tie the potential fuel savings of battery power to an already frugal, low-emission diesel engine.

The result is mostly rather pleasing. There’s a rotary control switch that watches over the hybrid system mounted between the front seats. Leave it set in Auto, and the computer will effortlessly shuffle around power from the diesel, the batteries or both as needed. Keep an eye on the fighter-jet-style heads-up-display, which projects ghostly speed and sat-nav information onto the windscreen, and you’ll notice the frequency with which the speed figure turns a light blue, meaning that you’re running on pure electric power.

Flick the controller around to Sport, and suddenly you remember that 200bhp is still quite a lot of grunt, even in a car weighing a not inconsiderable 1,800kg. Now the DS5 feels very fleet of foot indeed, and what other car can you think of that can combine 99g/km Co2 emissions (depending on which wheels you specify) with an 8.3-sec 0-100kmh time?

All of that is being done while you recline in a sumptuously comfortable seat, with optional leather trim that mimics the shape of a high-end watch strap, surrounded by a battery of instruments and buttons that make you feel like you’re the pilot of a rather avant-garde jet fighter. An F-15 by Hermés, if you like.

Sadly, there are still a few flies in this otherwise lovely ointment. The ride quality, although better than in other versions of the DS5 we’ve driven, is still too harsh-edged and you really need to keep to perfectly smooth roads for the DS5 to feel at its best. Fuel economy isn’t as god as advertised either; Citroen claims that you can hit just 3.8-litres per 100km on the combined cycle (a massive 74mpg) but we could only manage a test average of around 6.5-litres per 100km (43mpg). It’s so often the case that hybrid cars are never as economical in real world driving as they claim to be, but it’s disappointing that Citroen’s combining hybrid with diesel couldn’t liberate any extra efficiency.

That love-hate relationship continues in other areas. I love the little individual sunroofs above the driver and passenger – they make you feel as if each seat should come with a massive yellow handle marked 'eject.' I love the switches mounted on the roof and I adore that swept-back chrome blade that runs from the back of the headlights to the base of the windscreen. But I hate the robotised six-speed gearbox (too... slow... at... changing... up) and the fact that the hybrid batteries really chew into your boot space.

Still, while the DS5 has to climb the steep hills of being to thirsty, too rough-riding and too French in a corner of the market that only seems to want German, the fact that it does so is testament to two things. On the one hand, its quality and technology are right up there with the Germans. On the other, it is a truly beautiful car, and in a world that seems to be a touch uglier every day, that’s a beauty that would be most welcome on the streets of Ireland.

Of course, if you wanted to buy a striking looking Citroen that can mange 40-odd-mpg and is actually a huge amount more fun to drive, you could save yourself around €10,000 and go for the DS3 Racing, the latest version of which we got to try in the same week we were driving the DS5.

Now, while our affection for the DS5 is tempered by our criticisms of its ride and economy, out love for the DS3 knows few, if any, bounds. The first premium hatch to convincingly take the fight to the doorstep of the mighty Mini, in standard form, the DS3 combines gorgeous looks, decent practicality and a peachy chassis of rare balance and deftness.

The Racing version is something else again. Based on the standard 155bhp 1.6 THP model, it and its 1.6-litre turbocharged engine are taken away and tweaked by the same people that design and build the DS3 rally cars for the unstoppable Sebastian Loeb, a man who has almost literally won more rallies than we have had hot dinners.

So the Racing looks more butch, thanks to a 15mm suspension drop, a 30mm track widening and a gorgeously subtle carbon fibre exterior trim spruce-up. Inside, there are hip (and everything else) hugging sports seats, more carbon fibre (the real thing too, not just appliqué) and a squared-off steering wheel. It’s a delightful environment in which to sit, and thanks to this being a Citroen, comfort hasn’t bee thrown out with the sporty bath water. In fact, even on those chunky 18” rims, the DS3 actually rides better than the DS5 Hybrid...

It’s got the same 200bhp as the Hybrid too, but with only 1,165kg to haul around, it goes a good bit harder. 0-100km comes up in just 6.5secs, which is decidedly brisk. Interestingly though, this DS3 Racing feels a touch different to the last version we drove. It feels a bit less manic, less unruly. That is until you push the throttle all the way to the stop, and then it feels plenty manic enough, thanks, but there’s definitely a sense that Citroen has tried to build-in a little more day-to-day useability into what was originally supposed to be a short-run special edition. It’s a well-judged move, leaving enough mental-ness at the top end, while making the Racing feel more sensible around town. And yes, it really will do 43mpg on a long run.

Citroen DS5 Hybrid4 200 Airdream DStyle
Price as tested: €43,645
Price range: €33,195 to €46,695
Capacity: 1,997cc + hybrid battery drivetrain
Power: 200bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Top speed: 210kmh
0-100kmh: 8.3sec
Economy: 3.8l-100km (73mpg)
CO2 emissions: 99g/km (on 17” wheels)
Road Tax Band: A. €160
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 89% adult, 83% child, 40% pedestrian, 97% safety assist

News: New Renault Clio gets Irish launch

Renault has launched its hugely significant fourth-generation Clio on the Irish market, with prices starting from €14,990 for the most basic 1.2-litre petrol model.
Far from being a stripped-out base version though, and in keeping with Renault’s recent reputation for providing well-equipped models versus the competition, it benefits from a 4x20W radio with Bluetooth and USB connection, Bass Reflex system (enhanced speaker sound quality), driver/passenger/ front side airbags, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, daytime running lights, ESC, Hill Start Assist, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, electric front windows and door mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, plus cruise control and speed limiter.
If you want a Band A Clio though (the 1.2 is a Band B car) then you'll have to go for either the familiar, but updated, 1.5 dCi diesel (only 83g/km, without a hybrid battery in sight) or the all-new, high tech 900cc turbo petrol, which boasts 105g/km of Co2 and 60-odd-mpg.

Depending on spec, the new Clio is the first car to get Renault's new R-Link system, which uses a 7-inch touchscreen to control the infotainment systems, provide internet access on the go (not for the driver, natch) and has an integrated TomTom navigation system and a high-end Arkamys sound system.

The style of the new Clio is certainly eye-catching, and it's the first production Renault to get the new styling language previewed by the Dezir concept car. “Simple, sensuous and warm: these are the three words that sum up the design of Clio – just like that of DeZir. This is no accident, for both these vehicles were designed by the same team. As a five-door hatchback with the coupé profile of a three-door, New Clio is all about passion. And thanks to the skills of our engineering teams, it has remained faithful to our original vision” said Antony Villain, Director, Exterior Design Studio.

Julien Lelorrain, marketing director of Renault Ireland told us that “New Clio embodies the renewal of Renault Design as part of an approach based on sensuality and warmth.  New Clio allies a head turning design, come with economical engines, highest level of safety with 5 stars Euro Ncap and yet at very affordable price starting from €14990 or €149 per month with Renault Finance for a rather well equipped Expression Trim level. New Clio is the perfect car for those looking for a beautiful yet affordable car."

Road Test: Peugeot 208 1.4 HDI Active

Price as tested: €18,795

+ Looks, sense of quality, comfort, refinement, classiness
– Steering a touch mushy
= As chic and pleasant as a French hatch should be


As with all offspring, the new Peugeot 208 has some substantial shoes to fill, but oddly enough, those shoes belong to its grandfather, not its father, so to speak. From 1998, the Peugeot 206 was a roaring success for the rampant Lion, with more than 30,000 sold in Ireland alone in its lifetime, and millions more across Europe and the world. But its successor, the heavy, rather turgid 207 lagged behind. Way behind, shifting just 9,000-odd units in Ireland. Why? Well, odd styling didn’t help but the 207 also missed out on the crucial 1.0-1.2-litre ‘second car’ market (its smallest engine was a 1.4 and that was hardly a ball of fire), a segment that the 206 more or less made its own.

Now though, despite Peugeot itself being beset with falling European sales, financial woes and seeking changes in French law to help it climb out of its current crisis, the French are hitting back hard with the new 208, a car that seeks to reclaim the chic, small, sexy ground that was once the 206’s natural home.

Looks nice, doesn’t it? A touch snub-nosed, perhaps, but neat and neatly detailed. A little colour sensitive (please, please avoid the awful pink champagne metallic) but classy and stylish in a dark hue, or even white. The three door model even has a stylistic nod to the long beloved eighties Peugeot 205, with a small oval badge set into the c-pillar.

Inside, things look very, very different to what went before. In the 207, you got comfy seats but a massive fascia that seemed to eat unnecessarily into cabin space and cheap main dials that looked distinctly aftermarket. Almost nothing from the 207 then (or any other Peugeot model for the that matter) is carried over into the 208. All the switchgear is new, the centre-console mounted touch-screen looks nice (and is standard on all but the most basic model) and then there’s the steering wheel. Now, we’ve criticised Peugeots in the past for having massive, bulky steering wheels unbecoming of cars with a sporting mien. The RCZ coupe, without the optional Sport pack, was a particular offender. But the 208’s wheel is tiny, looking more like the wheel you get with a PlayStation driving game than one attached to an actual car. The main instruments (which are very handsome indeed and have more than a whiff of Audi about them) are actually mounted above the rim of the wheel.

Now, that sounds like a recipe for feeling that you’re sitting with the steering wheel resting on your knees, but actually, thanks to a broad range of adjustment for both wheel and seat, it only takes a moment to adjust to the new layout and once done, it feels entirely natural. The wheel itself feels really pleasant to hold; small and sporty rather than tiny and flimsy.

Sadly, it’s not attached to Peuegot’s best ever steering rack; the electrically assisted system is quick and accurate, but lacking almost entirely in road feel. It’s not bad, just not much fun. Which is a shame, because the rest of the chassis is very game indeed, resisting understeer well, cornering sharply,  and best of all; riding with a comfy, controlled compliance that leaves your backside and spine in glorious isolation. Bravo Peugeot, for resisting the temptation to bolt stiff springs and dampers for a faux-sporty feel. As ever, what is done for ride, when done well, is also good for handling.

For the rest, the cabin is spacious and comfy, the boot large and square and the overall levels of fit, finish and quality seem excellent. A shame that Peugeot hasn’t seen fit to extend its standard three year warranty to compete with the Koreans, but I guess you can’t have everything.

The engine in our test car was Peugeot’s familiar 1.4 HDI diesel with 68bhp and it’s a fine, if unremarkable, engine. It’s decently quiet for a diesel in small car, and Peugeot bucks the industry trend for such vehicles, expecting to sell almost half of all its 208s in Ireland with oil burners, rather than the more usual petrol-heavy ratio of competitors. It certainly gives the 208 some hefty mid-range punch (160Nm of torque in a car weighing just 1,050kg – some 110kg lighter than the old 207) will do that, and if you can match the claimed 3.8-litres per 100km fuel economy claim, you should be able to stretch to well over 1,000km between refills.

That said, it’s likely that the lighter, more high-tech 1.0 and 1.2-litre petrol engines will be the stars of the range though, with their light weights helping to give the 208 a more agile, rev-happy feel, but we’ll have to wait a few more months to get a taste of the petrol burners here.

Price-wise, the 208 undercuts most of its major opposition with a starting price of €14,495 for the 1.0 petrol 3-door, and out five-door diesel test car weighed in at €18,795 including cruise control and speed limiter (standard on all models), the touchscreen controller with Bluetooth phone integration and media player, 15” alloys and air conditioning. Decent value for money, that.

Peugeot’s problem will be that, while the 207 was underperforming, the 208’s rivals were doubling from just 16 similar others in 2001 to 27 now, with hefty competition not just from ‘traditional’ models like the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Toyota Yaris, but also hard-charging new comers like the Kia Rio and Chevrolet Aveo.

That the 208 is good enough to take them all on, on equal terms is without question. It’s a match for the Polo in quality terms, the Yaris in comfort and the Fiesta (almost) dynamically and much more stylish than the Koreans. Will it be enough to put the 208 back on the 206’s podium step? We’ll see...



Peugeot 208 1.4 HDI Active
Price as tested: €19,795
Price range: €14,495 to TBA
Capacity: 1,368cc
Power: 68bhp
Torque: 160Nm
Top speed: 160kmh
0-100kmh: 15.6sec
Economy: 3.8l-100km (74mpg)
CO2 emissions: 98g/km
Road Tax Band: A €160
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 88% adult, 78% child, 61% pedestrian, 83% safety assist

Road Test: Renault Clio RS Gordini

Price as tested: €28,000 (approx)

+ Scalpel-sharp chassis and steering, characterful engine
– Silly paint job, high Co2
= A purist’s hot hatch

Quite why Renault has chosen to revive the old Gordini name for its hot hatch range is a little baffling, to me at least. OK, so there’s the connection with the classic R8 Gordini, some sixties Le Mans cars and, not least, the original fifties Gordini F1 team. But, looking back at Gordini’s F1 record, it’s hard to ignore that aside from a couple of thirds for legendary charger Jean Behra, the team’s record was one of lower placings and retirements. Which is why I’m puzzled. After all, Renault already has the RenaultSport brand, which has won mulitple F1 world championships as both an engine maker and a team, has won the Le Mans 24hrs and the Monte Carlo rally. So why go to the bother of resurrecting a racing name that few have ever heard of?

Especially when, applied to the Clio 200 RS, the Gordini name seems to signify little more than some sparkly blue paint, some silly stripes and some blue inserts in the cabin. Amedee Gordini’s signature is conspicuous by its absence and there are no mechanical changes to the chassis or engine.

Then again, there didn’t need to be. The Clio RS has been THE reference small hot hatch for some years now, providing the sort of razor sharp thrills that once seemed to have been outlawed, or at least forgotten about. And while I’d aver that that crown has slipped a little (we’ll come to more of that in a minute) this is still a properly thrilling little car to drive.

It is, in a way, quite old-fashioned. There are no turbos here, no clever downsizing. Just a big (2.0-litre, with 200bhp and 215Nm of torque) engine stuffed into a relatively small, light car. There are hot camshafts, improved breathing and all the classic techniques for getting more grunt out of a simple engine.

That lack (if that’s the right word) of a turbo means that the Clio RS is quite unforgiving. There’s enough torque to pootle around happily at low speeds, and the gearing is so short that even sixth on the wonderfully notchy-feeling gearbox won’t bog down around town. No, if you want to feel what the Clio is really capable of, you have to rev it. By 3,00rpm it’s starting to move, and starting to fart angrily down the exhaust too. By 4,500 that fart has grown in intensity and is now really roaring. But you sense that there’s still more, much more, to come. And you’re right. Get the needle moving about 5,000rpm, get the engine onto the cam properly and things really start to move. By now the Clio is bursting with energy, ripping through its last 3,000rpm to the redline and you’re seriously moving. So grab another gear, drop back down the rev range and begin again. 0-100kmh is done in 6.9secs, should you wish.

The problem is, and this is where the Clio starts to wobble a little atop its throne, is that while having such a highly tuned, high-revving engine is wonderful, it does bring with it some limitations. The chief one of which is that you have to drive it like you’re in your own personal Le Mans to get the most out of it, which is hardly a practical, or even law abiding, state of affairs. Its turbocharged rivals may not have the true, spine-tingling feel of the Clio at high rpm, but their torquey, low-down oomph is more suited to the quick-thrill-and-then-relax driving style so necessary in these heavily regulated times.

It doesn’t do the running costs any favour either. Renault claims 8.2-litres per 100km on average, we managed 10.1l/100km, thanks to some (ahem) enthusiastic driving. The Co2 figure of 196g/km doesn’t look to clever either, especially when you consider that a Mini Cooper S Works manages 164g/km.

But where the Clio really starts to make up for all this is when you get it on to a twisty road. Now, a small, light car with big wheels and low profile tyres is hardly going to prove a perfect match for Irish back roads, and so it proves as the Clio hops and skips its way along. But the way this thing steers is where the real gold is to be found. That steering is just alive, flowing with information and perfect weighting, in an era when even the best supercars have numb, over-assisted tillers. There is still that slight whiff of unnatural self-centering, but that apart, this is not so much a car as a tool for deconstructing the geometry of the road builder’s art. Tightening apexes, sudden changes of direction, long, fast sweepers; all are a playground for the Clio’s talents.

The rest of the chassis backs that up. You’d have to be clinically insane to be going fast enough to get it to slide or slip, but there is still a sense of adjustability. It’s not just a point and squirt car. Once you get into the meat of a corner, you’re not just waiting for the apex to come and go before opening the throttle again. The Clio gives you options. Tighten the line to give oncoming traffic a wider berth. Let the nose run a little wide to avoid an errant tree root. Or just stick to your chosen line as if the tyres were covered in PrittStick and blast out the other side with a massive grin on your face.

The rest of the Clio fits neatly into the classic hot hatch playbook. Spacious cabin, comfy seats that support without squeezing too hard (even if the driving position is all over the place). A decent boot and a sense of decent build quality, even if some of the materials used simply don’t look or feel up to the task.

I have to admit to a slight, lingering sense of disappointment about the Clio Gordini too. It’s not the colour scheme, with its silly stripes (all car makers succumb, sooner or later, to such needless theatrics). It’s not the fact that you have to wring the engine so hard to truly experience its magic. It’s not the jiggly ride or the offset pedals. It’s actually a comparison to its bigger brother. The Megane RS Trophy (full road test HERE) is only around €10,000 more expensive. I say only, but there is a serious point here. Whereas the Clio stands in comparison to the likes of the Citroen DS3 Racing, the VW Polo GTI and the upcoming Ford Fiesta ST, the Megane is something else again. It is a spacious, comfy, practical hot hatch that bears serious comparison with seven-figure supercars in its ability to cover ground. It is on another planet entirely.

So while I loved driving the Clio, and would recommend it as a tonic for the ills of the modern motoring world, perhaps I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have driven its bigger brother first.


Facts & Figures

Renault Clio Gordini RS
Price as tested: €28,000 (approx)
Range price: TBC
Capacity: 1,997cc
Power: 201bhp
Torque: 215Nm
Top speed: 225kmh
0-100kmh: 6.9sec
Economy: 8.2l-100km (34.6mpg)
CO2 emissions: 196g/km
VRT Band: F. €1,050 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 1-star pedestrian

Road Test: Citroen C5 2.0 HDI Auto

Price as tested: TBA

+ Groovy looks, lovely cabin, different, unique
– Tight rear space, ride too firm
= Attractively different, differently attractive


Shall we not mention the Renault Vel Satis?

The last time a 'mainstream' French car maker tried to convince us to buy a premium saloon that wasn't a saloon, it was Renault's tall, oddball hatch. And charming though it was, it failed utterly in the face of ultra-conservative saloon buyers. It wasn't a conventional three-box and it didn't have a German badge. So no thanks, said the Irish car buying public.

And now here comes Citroen, fresh from it's reinvention of the DS nameplate, expanding a classic singular into a modern three-pronged family of verging-on-premium models.

This then is the third prong of the rebirth of DS, the DS5, a car which will seek to pull in company user-choosers and upper-end family car buyers by being different, attractive and just a little bit luxurious.  

And... It's not quite what we were expecting. With the C4-based DS4 occupying the space around the Qashqai-Golf-A3 kind of area, we expected the DS5 to be bigger by far. But it's not. In fact, it's based on the same basic chassis as the DS4 so although it's a little wider and longer, there's not the clear blue water between them that you'd expect.

That's good in one significant way though, and that's price. Official prices won't be revealed until closer to the February on-sale date but you can expect it to be about €2,500 more than an equivalent C5 saloon, which makes it a lot of luxury for the money.

On the outside it looks exceptionally distinctive. Perhaps not hopelessly gorgeous, but handsome, different and very eye-catching, especially with that chrome 'Sabre' blade running back from the headlights.

Around the back, there are hints of old-shape C4 Coupe, C6 (a little) and Smart Roadster Coupe but overall, it's a handsome beast.

Inside that's continued and with big, enveloping seats and a careful attention to cabin quality detail, the DS5 is a very pleasant place in which to spend time. There are a couple of glitches: the centre console switches are set too far back and the main instruments are a bit uninspiring, but if Citroen was trying to create a premium feel, then it has succeeded.

But not in the back and this is where the DS5's case starts to unravel a little. A car like this, with a DS badge, should be as spacious and as comfy as your lounge. Sadly though, the DS5 just lacks that last inch of knee, foot and headroom to feel properly luxurious in the back. Kids will be fine, adults will not and they're unlikely to be pleased with the cheaper plastics and fiddly electric window switches.

Thankfully the DS reclaims some ground with a big, well shaped 468-litre boot, so it is at least practical.

But what exactly is it? It's certainly  no conventional saloon, and nor is it spacious enough to be an estate (Citroen's own, and excellent, C5 Tourer murders it in the practicality stakes) or high-riding enough to be an SUV. In fact, it tries, as so many have before, to combine elements of each into a coherent whole. And the big surprise is that it comes very close to doing so successfully. After all the last car to try and combine such virtues was the Fiat Croma and  that was a car so bad as to be close to undriveable.

But the DS5 actually manages a decent fist of it. It's handsome enough to make you look past its lack of a separate boot, and in the front at least, comfy and stylish enough to make you believe in its pretensions of luxury. As ever with a Citroen, it’s the little details that sell it. That Sabre blade of chrome we’ve already mentioned, but then there’s the (optional) leather embossed with a gorgeous watch-strap pattern, the little hatch-like individual sunroofs over the driver and passenger, the neat Head Up Display, the aircraft-style switches in the roof and the pretty LED daytime running lights.

Dynamically, it's a mixed bag. Stick to wide, mostly smooth roads and the DS5 feels composed and positive to drive with well weighted steering and excellent body control.

Stray onto twistier, bumpier stretches though and it's not so good. The steering proves under-geared and the ride quality, certainly on the 19" alloys of our test car, was little better than poor, and far too firm and jiggly for a supposedly luxurious French car.

Fitted with a conventional six-speed automatic, the 160bhp 2.0 HDI diesel is lovely, keeping itself mostly quiet, proving itself very punchy and suppressing its emissions and consumption to acceptable levels. There will be a 110bhp eHDI version that uses Citroen's annoyingly jerky EGS automated manual but manages Band A emissions and a very high tech Hybrid4 that keeps the 160bhp diesel, adds a battery-powered rear axle and provides a combined 200bhp with 99g/km emissions. Impressive stuff, but a brief spin showed that it too is hobbled by the awkward EGS box and we didn't have it long enough to see if it can get close to its claimed 3.8-litre per 100km combined fuel consumption figure. If not, then the regular HDI has a still-excellent balance of consumption and performance, and doesn't sacrifice boot space to the Hybrid's bulky battery pack.

What Citroen has wrought with the DS5 is... interesting. To be honest, I doubt that the blinkered Irish car buyer, wracked with conservatism, will ever see past the horde of more conventional three-box shapes that stand between him and the DS5. But for the 150 or so people Citroen Ireland expects to snap one up, there is something very good here.

Yes, the ride needs fixing, and if you  must regularly carry adults in the back then you're better off with a C5, but as ever, Citroen has decided to stretch it's legs out onto the precipitous high-wire marked 'different' and thank god that it's prepared to do so. Perhaps the best illustration of the DS5’s character is to look up its safety rating on www.euroncap.com Quite apart from the fact that it scores exceptionally highly in all aspects of safety, there’s the little panel underneath to contrast it with ‘Comparable Cars.’ None are listed...



Facts & Figures

Citroen DS5 2.0 HDI Auto
Price as tested: TBA
Price range: TBA
On sale: February 2012
Capacity: 1,997cc
Power: 163bhp
Torque: 340Nm
Top speed: 215kmh
0-100kmh: 8.8sec
Economy: 5.1l-100km (51.3mpg)
CO2 emissions: 133g/km (129g/km with 16” wheels)
Road Tax Band: B €156
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult: 89% adult, 83% child, 40% pedestrian, 97% safety assist