Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by TopSpeedGermany
Twenty years ago, vehicle manufacturers decided to bet on the mini MPV segment, a class that they created out of existing subcompact hatchbacks. They offered more space than a compact hatchback, but had a small footprint, small engines, and were relatively affordable, but sales have dropped in recent years.
Their popularity dwindled as small SUVs and crossovers took their place in buyer preferences. It does take too much analysis to discover that the launch of more and more SUVs and crossovers led to the slow demise of the mini MPVs.
While similar, the latter did not get to enjoy the same styling as SUVs, which may be the reason crossovers are more popular today than mini MPVs ever were.
The Renault Modus was one proposal in the mini MPV class, and the folks over at TopSpeedGermany took one for a drive on the Autobahn. The example in question turns 14 years old this year, and it comes with a five-speed manual transmission and a 1.2-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. The latter was also featured in the Twingo, Clio, and the Dacia Sandero, just to name a few of its recipients.
As you can imagine, 75 horsepower is not going to provide an incredibly fast vehicle, but can it still reach its top speed after more than a decade of use? Well, you are going to find that the little French model can still move the body at a respectable speed.
What is even more impressive is that the motor is not incredibly loud while driving towards the Modus's top speed, and wind noise is surprisingly well concealed. For the sake of reliability and safety, we do not recommend doing this even if you live in Germany and have access to the country's famous network of highways that have unrestricted sections.
According to its spec sheet, the Modus was capable of reaching 163 kph (101 mph), while sprinting from naught to 62 mph (100 kph) was done in 13.7 seconds. It was not the fastest car at the traffic light, that is for sure, but this example still seems to be able to hit its top speed.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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