Renault excels in building safety into its cars and despite its older design, the Clio still puts in an impressive performance with a four-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating. All models get four airbags as standard plus central locking and an immobiliser.

The Clio is ideally suited to city life and will happily zip through urban congestion and manoeuvre into tight supermarket car parks. Though most rivals are now roomier than Clio, there’s still more than enough room in the boot for the weekly shop. The split-folding rear seat – which is available across the range – improves practicality and increases the boot capacity for the occasional larger load.