COMMENT
Steve Cropley
MY WEEK IN CARS
Hybrids like this 72mpg Clio don’t get the eco credit they deserve
MONDAY .
In the three days before we officially declared the Renault Clio our Best Small Car of 2024, I was using one for mixed motoring errands that amassed 880 miles. This was a £25,000 version, in Esprit Alpine trim and with the seamless 143bhp E-Tech Full Hybrid powertrain. My all-in fuel economy was 72mpg – a really nice surprise, because when I filled the tank (which would only accept a paltry 36 litres), the car immediately calculated that I could do 700 more before stopping again. On behalf of Renault and others like it, I feel miffed that the forces of greenery allow them so little credit for achieving such efficiency. If all cars were as clean and frugal, our pollution concerns would surely be gone.