This is a strange thing to be writing on these pages: a review of my very own car.
It’s a brand-new Renault Clio, paid for with my own money, earned by writing about other cars. Still, a fearless, unbiased review this must and will be.
When Renault announced the revised Mk5 Clio last year, it made the supermini hybrid-only, giving the buying public a stepping stone between petrol and electric. But then Rishi moved the UK’s ban on new ICE car sales back to 2035 and Renault correctly sensed that there would still be an appetite for more affordable small petrol cars for a while yet, particularly with the cost of living crisis in full swing. I doubt it would have gone unnoticed in Paris that the Ford Fiesta was exiting the market, either.