Renault Zoe review

Renault’s electric charge will be spearheaded by the Zoe Z.E. model. A Clio-sized supermini – powered by electricity alone – the Zoe Z.E. will reach UK showrooms in Spring 2012.

This Zoe Preview model is the very same concept car that was shown at the 2010 Paris motor show, although its creator, Axel Breun, Renault’s Director of Show Cars and Concept Cars, admits that it’s 90 per cent representative of the production Zoe Z.E. that will silently be rolling out of Renault’s Flins plant in France this time next year.

See pics of the Renault Zoe in action

Without proper firewall soundproofing, this Zoe Preview is uncharacteristically noisy for an electric car on the road. That 90 per cent figure quoted by Breun clearly relates to the car’s styling, rather than the actual engineering underpinning the Renault. The whining noise from the front-mounted motor and the direct drive reducer transmission is ever present, and it manages to grow in intensity as the speed rises.

Even as a concept, however, the performance on offer feels brisk enough, and the regenerative effect when lifting off is smooth rather than severe. Renault quotes an 8.1sec 0-62mph time and top speed of 84mph. Plenty for those Parisian side streets, the potential range of 100 miles is also unlikely to be too little for its intended urban role.

The steering, unassisted on the Preview concept, will be electric on the final production car, although despite its heft it’s accurate on the move. The suspension is more or less nonexistent, with the Zoe Preview feeling busy on tarmac that wouldn’t even trouble the Renaultsport Mégane Cup.

The production car will ride more sweetly, with it expected to feature Clio-derived MacPherson-type front suspension and torsion beam, coil spring rear set-up. Hard semi-slick had-cut Michelin show-car tyres don’t help the ride either. The tyre firm has used specific production rubber with the emphasis on providing low rolling resistance for maximum economy.

Renault’s first fully developed electric-only platform will underpin the Zoe. The French firm claims the platform is exclusively for its own use. The batteries come from a joint Nissan-Renault programme though, and thanks to that EV-specific platform they are positioned as low down in the car as is possible.

That ideal weight distribution should help the production Zoe ride and handle better than this skittish, poorly suspended show car. Input on the dynamics from Renaultsport is possible, indeed, Breun doesn’t rule out an entire Zoe Renaultsport version of the car, with Renault’s more focused wing playing a key role in the development of the Zoe’s Twizy Z.E. sister vehicle.

Understandably, the production car will lose this Preview’s more overt interior styling and gain a simple bench seat in the rear, but the digital displays will remain, with the bold central screen containing all the information regarding the condition of the battery. Breun admits too that despite the low current draw of the show car’s LED lights the production car will feature conventional headlamps. Likewise, the glass roof will go, as to retain it would only cause additional energy pull to control the climate inside.

Cut through the show-car glitz and the Zoe’s conventionality is its biggest draw. Back that with good looks and the promise of an enjoyable drive and it could change the way we look at and use our superminis. It’ll be priced conventionally too, after the Government stumps up its £5000 subsidy the Zoe will be around the same price as a diesel Clio.

A brave new electric world, which you won’t need to be too brave to take the plunge into.

Renault Zoe
Price: £14,000 (est); Top speed: 84mph; 0-62mph: 8.1sec; Range: 100 miles; CO2: Zero (tailpipe); Kerb weight: 1392kg; Engine: Electric motor, lithium ion battery; Power: 79bhp; Torque: 163lb ft; Gearbox: Direct drive with reducer and forward/reverse inverter

VW Tiguan facelift

Volkswagen has released the first images of its revised Tiguan, just under a month ahead of its public debut at the Geneva show.

The German firm says the early launch has been caused by the outgoing car selling out earlier than expected - although it could just as easily be down to the fact that pics of the revised Tiguan leaked onto VW's German website yesterday.

See the official pics of the VW Tiguan facelift

The shortage of details in the accompanying release would indicate that the reveal has caught VW on the hop. It confirms that the car will start at the same price in Germany - a trend that's likely to continue in the UK - and that advance orders are now being taken.

The new model gets a different grille and a new light design at the front and rear, plus a revamped bumper.

The engine line-up is likely to remain unchanged - although VW will probably introduce Bluemotion tech to deliver modest gains in fuel economy and CO2 emissions. It's also possible that DSG dual-clutch transmissions may be made more widely available across the range.

More details are expected to be released on 17 February. The UK order book will open in June, and the first deliveries are expected in August.

Hyundai i10 1.0 Blue

It’s a car that Hyundai reckons could become a serious rival for eco-superminis like the VW Polo Bluemotion. No, seriously.

The three-pot version of the revised i10, called Blue, could be a worthy contender. Its new 1.0-litre motor has 68bhp and trims a second from the 0-62mph of the old 1.1 i10. But the Blue also comes with stop-start, low-resistance tyres and a gearshift indicator, so it delivers 67.3mpg, a rise of 8.4mpg over the 1.1, and CO2 emissions of just 99g/km.

Elsewhere, the i10 gets a mild styling refresh and extra toys in the cabin (air-con is now standard across the range, and some of the interior fabrics have been improved). It still feels basic, but in a rugged, well built way.

What’s it like?
The good news is that on the road, the i10’s key strengths - a willing, neutral chassis, feelsome steering and a super-slick, short-throw gearshift - are all still present. Even with just three cylinders, the Blue is a hoot around town. The trick tyres are a little noisier and they don’t help the ride, but nor do they ruin it.

There is a catch, though - and it is that the smallest engine no longer sits at the bottom of the range. Those green mods - and the stop-start system in particular, one suspects - lift the Blue’s price to £9195; that’s over a grand cheaper than any other sub-100g/km car, admittedly, and almost £6k less than the Polo Bluemotion, but it’s £1000 more expensive than the refreshed i10 1.2 Classic.

Should I buy one?
If you simply must have a green supermini, then, the Hyundai is an appealing high-value proposition. But in the realm of i10s, we’d save a few quid on the list price and stick with the 1.2.

Hyundai i10 Blue
Price: £9195; Top speed: 93mph; 0-62mph: 14.8sec; Economy: 67.3mpg; CO2: 99g/km; Kerb weight: 1000kg (est); Engine: 3 cyls, 998cc, petrol; Power: 68bhp at 6200rpm; Torque: 70lb ft at 3500rpm; Gearbox: 5-spd manual

Nissan Note 1.4 N-tec review

The Note's suspension hits a fine balance between ride quality and handling

It's as spacious and practical as ever, thanks to its tall roofline and clever packaging

At town speeds, the 1.4-litre Note makes steady progress and feels lively enough

Executive levels of spec inside but the seats offer little support

Plenty of space for four, an array of cubby holes and sliding rear bench

Clever packaging solutions make the Note very practical

Nissan Note 1.4-litre N-tec

Price: £13,233; Top speed: 101mph; 0-62mph: 13.4sec; Economy: 47.9mpg; Co2: 139g/km; Kerb weight: 1150kg; Engine type: 4cyls in line, 1386cc; Power: 88bhp at 5200rpm; Torque: 95lb ft at 3200rpm; Gearbox: 5spd manual

Geneva motor show: Toyota's hybrids

Toyota has revealed the first image of its forthcoming Yaris hybrid, a model that will be showcased at the Geneva motor show in March. The firm has also confirmed that its larger Prius model will be a seven-seater in European markets.

The Yaris teaser image, revealed via a company blog website, shows the nose of the car. It’s clearly a development of the model that was revealed recently in Japan as the Vitz, although there are slight changes to the grille (now deeper) and the headlights, which feature strips of LEDs.

There’s also a hint that the intake-esque elements at either side of the bumper will house LED lighting.

The Yaris hybrid is expected to go on sale in 2012, and it will be produced at Toyota’s factory in Valenciennes, France. It’s likely to get a much smaller petrol motor as part of its powertrain; expect it to use a 1.33-litre engine instead of the 1.8-litre unit used in the Prius and Auris.

Toyota also issued a photo of the larger Prius’s badging. It confirms that the car will be called ‘Prius+’ instead of the ‘Prius v’ that will be used in the US. And the blog promises “the versatility of seven seats”, indicating that the European model will be able to cope with more passengers than the five-seat US version.

Both models are being lined up for European debuts at next month’s Geneva motor show.