New Renault Captur Puts a Crossover Twist to the Clio Platform

Making its first public appearance today in front of a crowd at the Geneva Auto Salon, is the brand-new Renault Captur, a sub-compact crossover based on the Clio's familiar "B-Platform", which also underpins the Nissan Juke, with which it will compete in the European market.

The French carmaker says the Captur combines "the best of the MPV, SUV and hatchback worlds" in a single package, one that measures 4.12m long, 1.77m wide and 1.57m tall, with a ground clearance of 200mm.

Unlike the Juke, the Captur is offered exclusively with front wheel drive and an initial selection of three engines, a 1.2-liter turbocharged TCe petrol in either 89hp (90PS) or 118hp (120PS) versions, the latter only with a dual-clutch EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission, and an 89hp (90PS) turbo diesel, which can be optionally equipped with the EDC.

One of the highlights of the Captur is the ability to customize its appearance through two-tone paintworks, exterior décor graphics, the color of the wheels, the interior trims and a range of eight, interchangeable, 'Zip Collection' zipped seat covers.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › Geneva Motor Show , News , Renault , Renault Captur

Renault Heats up New Clio GT by RenaultSport for the Geneva Motor Show

We knew Renault had plans to bridge the gap between the Clio RS 200 EDC and lesser Clio models, and here it is: the new Clio GT, which judging by the rear license plate, was developed by the brand's RenaultSport performance division.

We say this because we don't have an official statement from the French carmaker yet, only these four images.

Compared to the regular Clio Mk4s, the GT gains a new front bumper housing larger air vents and LED daytime running lights, a more aggressive front grille that looks like the one fitted on the 197hp (200PS) Clio RS, darkened headlamps, different door and mirror trims, larger alloy wheels and a rear diffuser with twin chrome pipes.

The big question is what's lurking under the hood. If we were to take a guess, we'd say there's a strong possibility the new GT features Renault's new 1.2-liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (TCe 120) with 118hp (120PS) and 190Nm (140 lb-ft), but we'll have to wait for the official release to be sure.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › 2014 , Clio GT , Geneva Motor Show , Renault

Renault Itself Test Drives the New Clio RS 200 EDC

The all-new Clio RS 200 EDC is a very important car for Renault, and the French manufacturer is keen to point out the improvements over the previous generation car with an in-house test drive of its hot hatch. It is of course a biased review of the Clio, but since the first customer cars are set to be delivered in mid-March, this is all we have to go on until the car becomes available to the motoring press.

The Renault “reviewer” talks about how the new car is a more practical, economical and usable compared to the car it replaces. It is now bigger, has two more doors and its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine has more torque at low revs and some 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the outgoing model’s screaming naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter unit.

The car has also been fitted with an intake resonator, like the one found on the new Ford Focus ST, which amplifies engine noise, without making it overly-intrusive. In addition, if the owner opts for the optional R-Link touchscreen infotainment system, a wide assortment of engine noises can be chosen, and the sound will be piped through the car's sound system - we say that's a bit of a gimmick, which will most likely not be appreciated by hot hatch purists.

Following in the footsteps of the VW Polo GTI and the Skoda Fabia vRS, Renault has ditched the six-speed manual gearbox used in the old model, in favor of a modern dual-clutch setup with paddle shifters they call EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) - a manual version is not offered at all. This coupled with the engine's flat torque curve should make the Clio a more relaxing car to drive when not in ‘hoon-mode’.

For the full detailed “review”, check out Renault's video after the jump.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Video Source : Youtube

Category › Clio RS 200 , Renault , Video