Thesmallestpowertrain,meanwhile,belongs to the Renault
ClioLife(also$16,990)andits66kW/135Nm, 0.9-litre three-pot
turbo.Addeda coupleofyearsbacktotheageing series, which
scoreda memorablesecondinthe 2013 Wheels Car of the Year
contest,theTurkish-built,1017kgFrenchiecertainly doesn’t look
thatold,evidencedbythefactthattheall-new, yet-to-arrive Mk5
versionlooksverysimilar.Thatcaris dueinOz later in 2020.
Beingentrylevel,thegoodiesAWOLfromthe Swift also apply
totheLife,moreorless,andthere’snoGPS, either. But the coolly
muscularCliofeaturesdusk-sensingheadlights and is alone with
remoteentry/push-buttonstart,stop/start,digital radio, walk-away
autolocking,a telescopicaswellastilt-adjustable steering wheel
andrain-sensingwipers.Note,though,thatno rear curtain airbags
exist,asRenaultreckonsextrabodybracingprovides better crash
protection.NorareAppleCarPlayorAndroid Auto present.
Still,almosteverybodyexpecteditspricing to be comfortably
over$20K.TheCliojustseemslikea muchmore expensive car.
Thatsenseis amplifiedbyhowmuchmoreupmarket the Clio’s
thoughtfullypresentedcabinseems,thanks to comparatively
effectivesound-deadening,big,squishyfront seats and features
likethefullyadjustablesteeringwheel,glossy black trim, digital
instrumentation,DAB+radioandthefactthat one need not ever
touchthekey.
There’samplespaceupfront,too,although the sweeping
rooflinelimitsheadroomoutbackfortaller folk and the rear
cushion,whilelong,is a tadflat.Thedashdesign is feeling its
age,too,underlinedbythedatedsmallscreen.
Incontrast,theSwiftis a veritableTardisinside, making the
mostofitsboxydimensionswithcleveruseof space (which is
mostapparentintheroomyrear),excellentall-round vision and a
commandingdrivingposition.
Thelovelythin-rimmed(thoughtilt-only)wheel, racy-red-tinged
dialsandcolourfulmultimediatouchscreenenhance the athletic
ambience,butthetightspeedomarkingscry out for a secondary
digitalreadout.Thecushionscanfeelquitenumbing after a few
hours,despitefront-seatbolstering,there’splenty of road and
suspensionnoiseintrusionaudiblefromtheback, and the Suzuki’s
lackofoverheadgrabhandlessmacksofpenny pinching.
If girth is your thing, the Picanto’s city-friendly narrowness will
be the overriding cabin characteristic (especially if you’re trying
to squeeze three adults in the back), followed by just how damned
stylish and sensibly placed everything is.
Like a shrunken Hyundai i30’s, the dash imparts a maturity
beyond its station, with classy analogue dials (again, no digital
speedo) and Audi R8-esque climate switchgear.
A big, handsome wheel (lacking reach adjustability), firm but
supportive seating, ample vision and the group’s only centre bin-
with-sliding-armrest combo, underline the pleasing thoroughness
that’s gone into the cute little Kia.
Like the Swift, though, there’s some road and mechanical noise
finding its way inside, yet that’s not necessarily such a bad thing
in a frisky hatch wearing a GT badge.
Fire up that 74kW, 1.0-litre turbo triple, and there’s a fruity
thrum at idle, endemic of the breed, that immediately informs the
driver this ain’t no plebeian Picanto. Tipping in the throttle even
slightly elicits a hasty burst of acceleration, aided by a weighty yet
well-oiled and positive shift action that rates as one of Kia’s best.
While the GT’s power-to-weight ratio trails that of the
featherweight Swift’s, a torque-fuelled torrent of mid-range muscleEuropeans still love
their small city cars,
and Clio is a favourite76 whichcar.com.au/wheels
COMPARISON /
SUPERMINIS