BOSS BABIES
The Skoda Fabia is one of the best small cars you can buy, but it’s under threat from a revamped Renault Clio . Let’s see which one’s in charge
Photography: John Bradshaw
NEW
Renault Clio 1.0 TCe 90 Techno
List price £19,195
Target Price £18,192 Renault’s popular small hatchback gets a new lease of life, with a smart, well-equipped interior and a bargain price
Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI 95 SE Comfort
List price £19,720
Target Price £19,108 As always, the Fabia is a solid choice, with value for money, comfort and practicality as its main attributes. But has it met its match?
R
ecent reports suggest that eating a healthy diet is
too expensive for some people living in the UK. The idea of cutting down on certain unfavourable ingredients is all well and good, but it’s much harder to achieve when the alternative costs significantly more.
It’s a similar story with cars. Earlier this year, we saw news that the Renault Clio’s engine range was going to be reduced down to its cleaner hybrid option as part of a mid-life facelift, but the brand later confirmed that the more affordable regular petrol engine would be reintroduced because of the current economic climate. The hybrid engine might help to reduce your fuel consumption, but when it costs £3500 more than an equivalent petrol version, it could take years for buyers to recoup the difference. On that basis, we’ve kept things simple in this test with regular petrol models.
A refreshed front-end design brings the Clio in line with the electric Megane E-Tech hatchback and the upcoming Scenic SUV (reviewed on p32), while a mildly updated interior incorporates a bit more tech and improved material quality. The car is keenly priced, too. We’ve seen many new cars arrive with juicy price hikes over their predecessors, but the Clio we’re testing (in mid-spec Techno trim) seems good value against one of our favourite small cars, the Skoda Fabia, in our preferred entry-level SE Comfort trim.