50 years of Renault’s Chic Cinq |
The Renault Clio V is now available locally – a full three years after its world debut, but in time for the 50th anniversary of its legendary predecessor, the fabulous 5. To celebrate this, we introduced the latest Clio to its celebrated forebear and the last real Renault to be assembled in South Africa.
On seeing the immaculate 1400 TS standing in the driveway of a house in Welgemoed, Cape Town, many fond memories flooded back of my own experiences with the Renault 5, now over four decades ago.
I bought my (slightly used) five-door TS – with Alpine-style front valance including fog lights, Renault-approved aftermarket alloy wheels, sunroof, and a rear spoiler – for just over R6 grand from a dealer in Bloemfontein. It was pitch black with old gold decals and side stripes – the same as the decals on the pristine white three-door example that Herman Steyn has owned since 1983.
As my varsity wheels, the little black number served me well – its biggest vice being an insatiable appetite for exhaust mufflers and a tendency to run out of fuel unexpectedly. Otherwise, it was bulletproof, as verified by Herman’s completely original R5, which is still running like clockwork.
Next to the new Clio V, the Cinq looks deceptively small, but it is much roomier inside than what one would expect and fits four people in comfort. Its simple design and austere, angular lines have stood the test of time, and even now – 50 years later – the R5 looks chic and contemporary.
Cinq to Cinquante
Launched in January 1972, the cleverly packaged Renault 5 immediately caused a stir and swiftly became the default car in the newly established supermini segment. It was the best-selling car in France from 1972 to 1986, with over 5.5 million cars produced over 14 years. In 1985, it was superseded by the SuperCinq, but this second-generation 5, built until 1996, did not prove as popular.
Fortuitously, the nippy and stylish R5 was introduced just before the fuel crisis of 1973. This motivated Renault Africa to start negotiations for local assembly of the 5, using Toyota South Africa’s AMC connection under the Wesco Group to set up a production facility at Motor Assemblies in Durban.
A few French-built 5s were imported as prototypes for the assembly operation, and the chic little French car was introduced here in October 1975. Initially only available with a 1.3-litre engine, just over 3,500 units of the cool little car had been sold locally by the end of 1976, and 10,000 by 1979.
The Prospecton-built 5 had many exclusive features compared to the international models, including a bigger radiator, a larger rear anti-roll bar, a carpeted floor and boot, and suspended insulated roof lining. The top-line TS model had wool inserts in the seats, a trip meter and rev counter, halogen headlights, a radio, inertia-reel seatbelts, hinged rear side windows and a heated rear window with a wiper.
They were also the best examples globally in terms of specification and build quality – as recognised by Renault France – as the Durban plant was awarded best manufacturing quality from 1977 to 1979. In 1979 it set the highest-ever standard recorded for any Renault production anywhere in the world.
Released late in 1981, the 1400 TS with a 1,397cc engine and a five-speed manual gearbox was the ultimate of the locally produced Renault 5s. It offered sporting details, upmarket trim and quality finish at a reasonable price, but dynamically it could not match bigger-capacity hatches like the Golf GTI, Ford XR3 or Opel Kadett GTE.
A hot Alpine Turbo model (81 kW, 0–100 km/h in 9.1 seconds) was released overseas but was never considered for South Africa. This motivated the Royal Renault Group in Johannesburg to develop a turbocharged 5 in association with Brospeed, increasing power to the front wheels from 32 kW to 50 kW, as reported by CAR magazine. It is not clear how many Royal Renault 5 Turbos were sold or if any have survived.
From Cinq to Clio
A steady stream of 5s – 15 per day – rolled off the Prospecton line until 1985, when Renault in France decided to withdraw from the country. Nearly 36,000 were sold until then, but with Renault’s divestment, the second-generation Cinq and its successor – the original Clio – never made it here.
This meant we missed out on some memorable variants, such as the Clio Williams, but in 2000, after a 15-year hiatus, Renault returned to South Africa with the Clio II, and the 1.4 RT model was promptly crowned South African Car of the Year. The second-gen Clio proved highly successful, and besides hot hatch derivatives such as the Clio Renault Sport (RS) and the mid-engined, rear-wheel drive Clio V6 Renault Sport, it also spawned a sedan and even an electric version.
The Clio III, introduced in 2005, was voted European Car of the Year 2006, making the Clio the first car model to win the coveted title twice (the Clio 1 first won it in 1991). The Clio IV, designed by Laurens van den Acker and introduced in 2012, marked a radical design departure from previous models.
Only available in five-door form, with “hidden” rear door handles, this model was facelifted in 2016 and in 2018, the range was significantly condensed with fewer trim levels and no RS version. Locally, over 34,800 Clio IVs have been sold since 2013 (out of a total of 76,700 Clios since 2000), emphasising the popularity of the acclaimed range.
An Intens Experience
The new Clio V, based on a new modular CMF-B platform, builds on this legacy. Now available here with Life (entry-level), Zen (mid-spec) and Intens (top-spec) specification levels, all powered by an upgraded 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol turbo engine delivering 74 kW and 160 Nm of torque (an improvement of 8 kW and 20 Nm over the Clio IV), our Flame Red Intens model (with Option Pack) looked particularly striking next to its original forbear.
Even with all-new sheet metal, it is hard to spot the differences between the newcomer and the Clio IV. Obvious divergences are the new, more assertive grille, the revised headlights and C-shaped LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) at the front, broadened shoulder lines and updated rear styling with larger LED lights. Integrated chrome finishes, wide 17” rubber (compared to the 13” tyres on the R5), and ornate Diamond Cut alloy wheels add a sporty flair.
Inside, the use of higher quality material and finishes are immediately apparent, complemented by new, sporty seats and customisable ambient lighting. The large (optional) 9.3” Easy Link touch screen display allows for easy access to multimedia content, and the functions of the customisable 7” TFT instrument cluster can be controlled via a more compact steering wheel.
Strangely, the local models are only available with a five-speed manual transmission, and while it shifts smoothly, it needs some modulation to prevent the small engine from momentarily bogging down under acceleration. The peppy engine has good low-down torque but runs out of breath quickly at higher revs.
Its stiff chassis and well-tuned suspension ensure flat and secure handling in corners, with minimal body roll (even more noticeable compared to excessive body lean displayed by the old R5) and the whole, agile package screams for more power (and a fast-shifting DCT).
Last Word
In the Intens spec grade, the now even more contemporary, more athletic new Clio is well-equipped, comfortable and safe, and its rigorous build quality – making it one of the most reliable cars in the B-segment (much like its Cinq predecessor in the supermini category) – is very evident.
Yes, with pricing from R309,900 (for the Life), going up to R349,900 for the Intens (plus R15,000 for the option pack), it is pretty expensive, but for this, you get a properly built hatch – a genuine Renault in every sense of the word, continuing the tradition of the original Cinq.
And the 5? Well, it is set to be revived soon as a full-blown contemporary EV.
Our sincere thanks to Herman Steyn from Welgemoed for making his pristine Renault 5 1400 TS available for our photo shoot.
Report by Ferdi de Vos | Images © Ryan Abbott