The spirit of Nicole and Papa really does live on in the frugal new manifestation of the evergreen Renault Clio.
And that’s especially the case with the value-for-money 1-litre petrol TCe 90 that I’ve been driving after the model was quietly reintroduced into the Clio range.
For younger readers, the archetypally French pair Nicole and Papa were the face of the Renault Clio for seven years between 1991 and 1998, thanks to a series of clever, cheeky and charming TV adverts charting their adventures with the hatchback.
Renault believes there’s still a market for affordable cars that aren’t electric, have manual gears (this Clio has six) and proper buttons and dials. It’s right. While Renault has an ambitious electric car programme, sales of pure EVs to private buyers are stalling.
It was refreshing to get into a purely internal combustion engine car that offered joyful, engaged motoring.
Proven package: Renault’s current version of the Clio which was a ’90s star
I drove the top-of-the-range Clio Esprit Alpine TCe 90 with sporty seats and trim that doffs a cap to the Alpine racing heritage of its Renault Group sibling. It costs £21,295 (including the optional, fetching £700 Iron Blue metallic paint).
But the entry-level Evolution trim TCe 90 starts from £17,995 OTR (around £3,500 cheaper than the hybrid version), with the techno version costing from £19,395 OTR.
True, with 90 horsepower it’s not powerful. But it’s fun, nippy and nimble and accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 12.2 seconds. Top speed is 112mph and its 120g/km CO2 emissions mean its first year of road tax is £210. Nicole and Papa would love it.
MG taking orders for Cyberster
The bank holiday weekend is here and there are tempting cars on which to splash your cash as MG Motor UK takes orders for its scintillating new two-seater Cyberster electric roadster with dramatic uplifting scissor doors.
But the Cyberster — designed at Chinese-owned MG’s London design studio — is not cheap. First deliveries in August start from £54,995 for the 340 hp (250kW) single-motor rear-wheel drive model, which sprints from 0-62 mph in five seconds and has an official range of 316 miles — enough to get from London to Newcastle.
Splash your cash: MG Motor UK is taking orders for its scintillating new two-seater Cyberster electric roadster
The more performance-oriented flagship £59,995 dual-motor all-wheel-drive 503PS (375kW) Cyberster GT version — the most powerful production model in MG’s 100-year history — accelerates from 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds with a shorter range of 276 miles.
Both versions have four drive modes and come with a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty.
Mercedes hoping new electric G-Class 4×4 will hit the spot
Mercedes hopes its vast new electric G-Class 4×4 will hit the spot with well-heeled customers.
The giant boxy battery-powered ‘Chelsea tractor’ SUV was launched simultaneously in Los Angeles and at the Beijing Motor Show ahead of going on sale later this year at almost £200,000.
With similar looks to the newly updated petrol or diesel G-Class, it’s also aimed at celebrities, footballers and lovers of bling.
‘Chelsea tractor’: Mercedes hopes its vast new electric G-Class 4×4 will hit the spot with well-heeled customers
Officially, it is called the ‘G580 with EQ technology’ — after Benz’s electric car arm. Four independent electric motors totalling 580hp drive each wheel and are powered by a 116kWh battery giving it a range of up to 293 miles.