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Renault Modus 1.2 Turbo 100 road test report

1.2 Turbo 100

Renault has been turning out the highly popular Clio supermini for as long as anyone can remember, but then in 2004 came the Modus. This was a supermini too, but looking more like an MPV it offered more interior space and even greater practicality for slightly less image conscious buyers.

Road Test Reports Says 4.5 star rating
A front-facing image of the Renault Modus 1.2 Turbo 100

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TOM SAYS

Performance Performance - 4 stars

The Modus engine line-up was revised in 2007 and so it now comes with three petrol engines and two diesels. Sitting roughly in the middle is the 100bhp 1.2 Turbo. Small in size it may be, but I didn’t find it lacking in urge. Renault quotes 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds with a top speed of 113mph so it’s not blisteringly fast, but if getting from A to B is more important than setting lap records then you’ll not find it wanting, especially in the braking department where it really feels more like a racy Clio than a humble 1.2 Modus.

Ride & Handling Ride & Handling - 4 stars

Manoeuvring the Modus at low speeds is easy-peasy. At just under 3.8 metres in length it’s shorter than it looks and its electrically-assisted power steering makes light work of tight spaces without allowing the car to feel twitchy or over sensitive while at speed on the motorway. Negotiating heavy traffic in the Modus can almost seem like a pleasure due to the steering’s precision, its supple suspension, the deftness of the 5sp manual gearbox and clutch, and its terrific all-round outward vision.

Build Quality & Reliability Build Quality & Reliability - 4 stars

It’s difficult to make an accurate judgement here when my test involved little more than a couple of drives across London and a return trip to the Midlands. So suffice to say that nothing went wrong, fell apart, broke or seemed in any way amiss in the few days that it was in my care. Everything seems well put together and well finished and as far as I’m aware the Modus has earned itself a reasonably good reputation for reliability.

Safety & Security Safety & Security - 5 stars

The Modus made history as the first small car to achieve Euro NCAP’s top five-star rating for adult passenger protection, while also setting a new benchmark in child passenger protection, gaining four stars, something which at the time hadn’t been achieved by any other car in the class. ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, front and side airbags, and Isofix child seat mounting points on the outer rear seats are all standard on all models, while the 1.2 in Dynamique trim also comes with curtain airbags and pretensioners on the outer rear seatbelts. Security is handled by remote central locking with deadlocks and R.A.I.D (Renault Anti-Intruder Device) auto door locking.

Space & Practicality Space & Practicality - 5 stars

The Modus has generous headroom, and this contributes toward making getting in and out the vehicle easy. In the rear there can either be three permanent seats that divide 60:40, or there’s an optional 'Triptic' rear seat, which slides fore and aft for the best combination of rear legroom and boot space. Bootspace is 293 litres, increasing to 1,195 litres with the rear seats folded flat, or up to 1,302 litres with the Triptic rear seat. Storage space is almost everywhere, even under the floor where there’s two, 2-litre cubby holes. And if all that’s not enough there’s also the larger, Grand Modus…

Ownership & Value Ownership & Value - 4 stars

The Modus is well equipped as standard, but four option packs are available which usefully bundle themed items together. For example, the Cool Pack Plus combines climate control aircon with an electric panoramic sunroof, the Protection Pack provides curtain airbags and seatbelt pretensioners while the Storage Pack comes with overhead storage, rear seat tables and drawers under the front seats. The £11,298 otr 1.2 Turbo returns 47.8mpg combined with 140g/km of CO2 (band C road tax) and has an affordable 4E insurance grouping. Assuming you’re in the market for a practical supermini, I can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t be anything but pleased with a Modus.

Submitted: 11/02/2009 10:01:42

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