Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £9,940 to £12,840
Looks good, roomy cabin, excellent crash test results, 1.5 dCi diesel engine
Choppy ride, weedy 1.2 petrol, sluggish auto, not much rear legroom or boot space.
One of the better-looking mini-MPVs and a good family motoring solution - with the right engine.
The five-door Modus fits into the Renault range between the Clio supermini and the Megane - or the Scenic. It could be described as either a large, high-roofed supermini or a mini-MPV, but either way, it's a good way to transport a small family.
The Modus shares its underpinnings with the Mk5 Clio and latest Nissan Micra, as well as the longer Nissan Note. It's just 3874mm long, and its boot is small. To address this, Renault has also launched the 4034mm long-wheelbase Grand Modus, though the Note remains by some way the most practical model in the family, thanks to its rear seats which fold completely flat into the floor and its most cavernous boot-space.
Models to choose from are 1.2 (75bhp), 1.2 Turbo (100bhp) and 1.6 (111bhp, auto only) petrols, or 1.5-litre dCi 68bhp, 86bhp and 106bhp diesels. The 1.2 Turbo replaces the old Renault 1.4-litre petrol engine, offering better performance as well as reduced economy and emissions. The dCi 86 comes with the option of the Quickshift5 sequential-shift auto gearbox. The dCi 106 comes with six-speed manual transmission.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Renault Modus
wrote on 13 09 2007
wrote on 13 09 2007