The Renault Clio was the second most popular car in Europe last year, after to the Golf. Despite this, it had many flaws, which the French automaker was keen to fix for this all-new generation. However, Peugeot also wants a supermini revolution with its 2nd-generation 208.
We see this as a bloody battle. And being French cars, these two are naturally going to fight over who does style better. According to this comparison review from French magazine L'Artgus, the winner is the Peugeot 208.
It has far more modern and sporty looks, with a new wrap-around taillight, dazzling LED headlights and creases all over. By comparison, the new Clio just looks like a revision of the old one, a bit like how VW does a Golf. But doesn't that actually imply it will be more popular?
Inside, the 208 is more upmarket, thanks to soft-touch materials all over and futuristic i-Cockpit screen setup. However, the ergonomics in the new Clio are good, and there are more customization options. We believe the Renault will still be the people's choice, as it's built to be affordable yet interesting.
On the engine front, there's very little between them, as both companies offer similarly small powertrains. Peugeot is launching a pure EV model while Renault has a hybrid, in case you're wondering. We've seen owner satisfaction heavily favoring Peugeot in the past year, as Renault's engines weren't that reliable. But the Clio's 1.0 and 1.3 turbo units are all-new, so we have no data to judge them on.
Practicality also favors the Clio heavily, as it has more passenger space in the back and 30 liters extra credited to its trunk. Looking at the footage, the difference seems even bigger. So is style more important for you supermini buyers or does cost dominate everything like we think it does?
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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