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Renault Clio vs Abarth 595

What's the difference?

VS
Renault Clio
Renault Clio

$13,999 - $19,999

2018 price

Abarth 595
Abarth 595

2018 price

Summary

2018 Renault Clio
2018 Abarth 595
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.6L

Turbo 4, 1.4L
Fuel Type
-

Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
5.9L/100km (combined)

5.8L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

4
Dislikes
  • No AEB or rear curtain airbags
  • No CarPlay, Android Auto part of expensive option pack
  • RS Monitor no longer standard

  • Terrible driving position
  • Ride not great around town
  • No reversing camera
2018 Renault Clio Summary

I'm going to reveal something of myself here - I used to be a RenaultSport Clio owner. This is what the purists call what we now know as Clio RS, and I find myself constantly corrected yet unrepentant. It was a 172 - a nuggety three-door with wheels that looked too small, a weird seating position and a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that was big on torque as long as you belted it.

It was a classic and you could still see the links back to the epoch-making Renault Clio Williams, that blue and gold Mk 1 Clio we never saw in Australia that redefined the genre. The current Clio has been around for four years now and I even drove this current RS Clio at its launch in 2013, memorable for the sudden bucketing rain that drenched the circuit and made things very interesting indeed.

This Clio was a big change from the cars that went before - slimmer-hipped, less aggressive-looking and with a 1.6-litre turbo engine, five-door-only body and (gasp!) no manual, just Renault's twin-clutch EDC transmission. It was a hit, at least with enthusiasts. Back then it was the dawn of a golden age in small hot hatches. But that was then, this is now. With a small power bump and a couple of features thrown in, is the ageing RS still at the pointy end?

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2018 Abarth 595 Summary

Since 1949, Abarth has been giving the venerable Italian brand, Fiat, a patina of performance, based largely on giant-killing feats in small modified cars like the Fiat 600 of the 1960s.

More recently, the brand has been revived to boost the fortunes of the smallest Fiat on sale in Australia. Known formally as the Abarth 595, the tiny hatch packs a bit of a surprise under its distinctive snout.

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Deep dive comparison

2018 Renault Clio 2018 Abarth 595

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