The Renault Modus Gets Sporty

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

Eight months after the introduction, Renault is adding to the Modus. For the most powerful diesel model, however, the French car manufacturer initially decided against a particulate filter.

Thomas Flehmer

The Renault Modus gets sporty. Eight months after the introduction of the small car in September 2004, the French automaker is sending the most powerful variant, the 1.5 dCi, into the race. After the dCi with 86 hp / 63 kW, the mini-van now exceeds the 100 hp mark.

Hope for Renault

The small car, which is equipped with a six-speed gearbox and modern piezo technology, impresses with its sportiness. "Modus is a bearer of hope," said Modus project manager Philippe Martin at the presentation in Mortefontaine near Paris.

The mode has run a total of 127,212 times since it went on sale. "The mode is segment leader in front of the Opel Meriva," says Martin. The new version, which will be available from May 1, is intended to drive the business forward and further cement the supremacy.

4.7 liters of diesel

For the first time, the mode from the alliance between Renault and Nissan receives a six-speed manual transmission, which is manufactured in Seville and weighs only 41 kilograms. The mode is also equipped with modern piezo injectors that drive the fuel through the cylinders at 1600 bar. Three injections per cycle prevent the “nailing” typical of diesel engines.

And in fact. The mode moves mostly quietly on the asphalt. The diesel takes 11.2 seconds from zero to 100, and the maximum torque of 240 Newton meters takes effect at 2000 revolutions per minute. The speedometer needle only stops at 186 kilometers per hour. According to the manufacturer, the Renault consumes an average of 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

Particulate filter only in 2006

The road holding is just as impressive as the safety features. Six airbags are part of the mode, which also achieved the optimal rating of five stars in the European NCAP crash tests.

It is not very positive that Renault is initially dispensing with the particulate filter and offering an in-engine solution. "The filter is planned for 2006, but the mode already complies with Euro 4," says Renault press spokesman Thomas May-Englert.

Slidable rear seat

In the interior everything stays the same. The Modus is 17 centimeters higher than the Clio and gives a lot of space at first glance. But if the driver and front passenger want to enjoy their legroom, there is little left for the passengers in the back seats.

Thanks to the so-called triptic rear seat, however, the passengers can increase their space by 17 centimeters. This naturally reduces the size of the trunk, namely from 274 to 198 liters.

Digital speedometer in the middle

The digital speedometer and the bar display for the rev counter in the middle still take getting used to. The plastic equipment is not necessarily convincing either. In return, the leather seats in the exclusive "initial" variant provide plenty of support.

In the “initial” mode, cornering lights, automatic air conditioning and automatic tire pressure are added as standard, so that interested parties have to shell out a good 17,000 euros for the “hybrid” between Twingo and Clio.