FirstDrive: Renault Grand Modus / Renault Clio TourerYou get the feeling that car manufacturers sometimes just get really bored. Their designers and marketing folk get hauled in for their monthly meetings by the bigwigs, and are asked to present what fantastic new ideas they have come up with. And after they have made the usual range of cars, such as family saloons, SUVs and MPVs they tend to run out of ideas and have to start inventing genres.
The Modus is a small MPV that didn't really work for Renault. The idea was that you could put the versatility of an MPV into a small supermini package and this would serve the needs of young, small families. It was quite a good car, too.
The problem was that the 395,000 that they sold up to the end of its life cycle last October was below what was expected of the model, so they have made the new one 80mm longer and offer a Grand Modus version that is a further 160mm longer than that again.
In Ireland, we are set to be offered the Grand Modus only, positioning the car slightly upstream from the supermini MPV that it once was, and more in the direction of a mid-sized MPV, such as the Nissan Note, a car that has enjoyed notable success in Ireland since it was launched in 2006, and is more than distantly related to the Renault Grand Modus. Hopefully this will bring more success to the Modus in Ireland. Just three were sold in 2007, a dramatic drop from the 123 sold the year before.
Nissan, on the other hand, sold almost 2,100 of their larger Note MPVs in 2007. So we can expect this Grand Modus to be positioned about €500 less than the Nissan Note, which would mean that it should cost about €18,100 when it goes on sale in the middle of next month.
The idea for the Modus wasn't bad, but it was too small for people to make a concerted choice to buy one over a standard supermini, but with the addition of the extra space offered by the Grand Modus, this should make this model more attractive.
At 4,034mm long and with a wheelbase of 2,575mm, the Grand Modus is just a fraction shorter than the Note with which it shares a platform, but has a generous boot capacity of between 305 litres and 410 litres, depending on the position of the rear bench seat, meaning the boot capacity is up 50 per cent on the first-generation Modus.
The bench seat is mounted on a slide rail that travels through 150mm to increase either luggage space or rear passenger comfort. As you might expect, there is a multitude of stowage spaces provides, including under-floor lockers, aviation-style overhead central stowage and various other cubby holes.
In Ireland, we are going to get the Grand Modus powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine with 75bhp, and for now Renault tell us that they will not be bringing in the 1.5-litre diesel, which seems to be a mistake as it would suit the car better and will be good value when the emission element of VRT is introduced in July. At the launch, we drove the 1.2-litre turbocharged version, with 100bhp, and this was just about adequate, so the normally aspirated 1.2-litre petrol might struggle a little with a full load. Both the 75bhp 1.2-litre and the 1.5-litre diesel have CO2 emissions of less than 140g/km.
There is nothing particularly remarkable about the way the Grand Modus drives. It is easy to navigate, with a large glass area and is spacious and comfortable. Steering is light, and handling is predictable.
As ever, Renault have made it as user-friendly as you could wish for. Renault expects to sell 350 units per year of the Grand Modus, which would obviously be a significant leap on 2007's sales figures, but then this is a very different car.
Let's just hope they go with their inclination to bring in the excellent 1.5-litre diesel. Then the Grand Modus might finally start to make a little more sense.
CLIO TOURER
Here at Motors, we like to pride ourselves on the fact that our readers are a knowledgeable sort and they don't need to be bombarded with the obvious. So there really isn't too much point in us getting too bogged down with an explanation about Renault's second new offering, the Clio Tourer.
In Ireland, the market for small estate cars isn't big and up to now, this group of customers has been satisfied by cars like the Peugeot 207 SW.
This month, we see the arrival of the Skoda Fabia Combi Estate and in April, Renault will introduce the Clio Tourer, which as you might have guessed is the estate version of the Clio III.
There isn't really much to tell about the first two-thirds of the car, because it is the same as a five-door hatchback Clio.
Where it is different is at the back, where the new load area adds 50 per cent more load space than is offered by the Clio hatchback. It boasts an asymmetrical split-fold rear seat and a removable boot flap which frees a flat loading surface.
Renault tells us that this extra load space will appeal to those who like outdoor leisure pursuits, attend sporting events or who enjoy family outings and anyone else that a marketing team has invented. The 439-litre boot capacity can extend to 1,277-litre with the seats folded.
The Clio III is a remarkably comfortable car to drive and the Tourer is no exception. The cabin is spacious too, so this never really feels like a supermini estate, but feels much more substantial.
The 1.2-litre 75bhp petrol version will be the engine offered for the model when it arrives in April, with the possibility of a 70bhp diesel to follow.
Again, the diesel would be our top choice, not only for its excellent fuel economy, but also for its emissions and performance. With a raft of safety equipment, including up to six airbags, the Clio Tourer will be a five-star Euro NCAP safe car like its hatchback sibling. There are no details on pricing, but an educated guess would be that the 1.2-litre version would cost about €18,000.Renault Grand Modus
Factfile: Renault Grand Modus
Engines: 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol, 75bhp,
108Nm torque
Performance: Max speed 163km/h; 0-100km/h 13.5 secs
Economy: 5.9 l/100km
C02 emissions: 140g/km
Price: Starting price likely to be €18,100
Available: Mid-February
Factfile: Renault Clio Tourer
Engines: 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol, 75bhp, 108Nm torque. Possibly 1.5-litre dci diesel with 70bhp, 160Nm torque to follow
Performance: Max speed 167km/h; 0-100km/h 13.6 secs
Economy: 5.9 l/100km
CO2 emissions: 139g/km
Price: Likely to start from around €18,000
Available: April/May 2008