| Launch Report Renault Modus |
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So Many New Ideas Renault's marketing people label the Modus "the small car with the big heart", and for once I can see their point. It looks compact, but is bigger all round and 150kg heavier than the Clio, and makes greater use of space inside. It has the corporate-look Renault front end and, like its bigger brothers the Megane Scenic and Espace, the vertical back end. There are three petrol engines - 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-litre - and two versions of the 1.5 turbo diesel turning out 65 and 80bhp. I drove only the latter diesel and, even though it was the more powerful of the two, it laboured a little when asked to do anything strenuous. In its predetermined role as a city car, the small unit is perfectly adequate. With the entry-level Authentique trim, the 75bhp 1.2-litre petrol version will be in the showrooms at £9250 - which is £500 less than the equivalent Vauxhall Corsa or VW Polo - and prices rise to the top-of-the-range 113bhp 1.6-litre automatic at bang on £13,000. Most buyers will go for some of the add-on packs which could bump up the price by anything up to £4000. With insurance ratings the lowest in the sector, and economy figures among the best, Renault should have no trouble meeting its sales target of 25,000 in a full year.
Inside the car, the most notable feature is how quiet it is, regardless of the engine size or type. A great deal of time and effort has been put into improving the acoustics, and the Modus is delightfully peaceful, although that changes when the large glass sunroof is opened. |
The Modus is the first stage in Renault's renewal of its small car range, competing against no fewer than 40 rival models in a market which has seen growth of more than 31%. So it has a big job to do.
