Renault
Renault offers a wide range of family cars, from the tiny Twingo supermini up to the full-size Espace MPV. The firm's smaller cars are good to look at and good to drive, especially the superb Renaultsport models, while the Scenic offers plenty of practicality.
Renault Captur
The Renault Captur is the French company's entry into the small SUV market. It's based on the same platform as the Renault Clio, and is designed to offer more space than the supermini. It's a rival for small crossover models such as the Nissan Juke and Vauxhall Mokka, although it promises to be more spacious than either of these two. Renault has designed the Captur to offer MPV-like practicality inside, and there is lots of kit as standard, while Renault's excellent 1.5-litre diesel means sub-100g/km emissions are on offer. Prices are competitive with rivals in the class.
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Renault Clio
The Renault Clio is a safe, enjoyable and spacious supermini that competes with the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 207. It's available in three and five-door bodystyles, which feel roomy inside, as well as a compact Sport Tourer estate. The sporty Renaultsport version offers driving thrills, while running costs on all models are relatively inexpensive. Entry-level cars are a little basic, but opt for the mid-range 1.2-litre TCe turbocharged petrol engine in Dynamique trim for a fine combination of performance, equipment and economy.
Renault Espace (1986-2012)
Renault's Espace provides luxury transport for up to seven people – and with its classy cabin and comfortable ride, it continues to set a benchmark for comfort. That said, the Espace is expensive to buy, and lacks the space of rivals like the Ford Galaxy. What's more, Renault's own Grand Scenic MPV is every bit as practical and almost as accomplished to drive.
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Renault Fluence
The Renault Fluence Z.E. (zero emission) is a fully electric, full-size saloon with four seats and four doors. The 95bhp electric motor provides 226Nm of torque giving a range of up to 115 miles. Eligible for a Plug-In Car Grant of £5,000, the Fluence is one of the most affordable fully electric cars available.
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Renault Kangoo (1999-2012)
The Kangoo offers basic, stylish and very practical transport for not much money. It's unpretentious and delivers loads of space thanks to the fact it's based on the Kangoo commercial van. However, there are a few compromises to make. The engine range offers sedate performance, and some drivers find the seats uncomfortable. Despite being vast, the interior is very basic, and the level of standard equipment could be better – if you’re after creature comforts, go for Renault's Scenic instead.
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Renault Laguna (1994-2012)
The Renault Laguna is a competitively priced and well equipped rival to the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat. It's available as a hatchback, Sport Tourer estate or stylish Coupe, and the current Laguna is the most comfortable and well-built version to date. It's best to avoid the petrol engines, as the diesels are much more refined, powerful and economical. The Laguna can’t match the practicality or driving enjoyment of rivals like the Ford Mondeo, but it does feature lots of hi-tech equipment as standard.
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Renault Megane
The latest Megane is one of Renault's most attractively designed cars. There are lots of engines and trims to choose from, but all are well equipped and feature better built interiors than any Renault before. Hatchback versions are available in five-door and sporty three-door Coupe form, while there is also a Sport Tourer estate and a folding hard top convertible called the C-C. The high-performance Renaultsport Megane Coupe is an exciting option for anyone looking for a competitively priced performance hatchback.
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Renault Modus (2004-2012)
The distinctively styled Modus serves up the practicality of a small family hatchback - like the Ford Focus - in a supermini-sized package. It's based on the Clio, and the Modus has a clever, neatly laid out interior that is spacious and comfortable. The car has exceptional safety ratings and offers a good choice of strong and economical diesel engines.
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Renault Scenic
The Scenic is Renault's rival to the Ford C-MAX and Citroen C4 Picasso. Thanks to a cleverly packaged interior, the Scenic remains quite small on the outside, making it very easy to drive. However, the Scenic's real strength is its well thought out interior, which has five generously sized seats and a decent boot. For buyers after a little extra boot space and an extra pair of seats, Renault also offers a longer Grand Scenic version. The latest version was launched in 2009 with a wider choice of engines, so there's a Scenic to suit every need.
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Renault Twingo
The Twingo is Renault's answer to the Fiat 500, but it fails to offer an interesting design when compared to its Italian rival. It's only available as a three-door hatchback, and while the interior isn’t particularly exciting, it's practical and spacious for four. Pricing is competitive, but handling and build quality are only average. The top of the range Renaultsport version is easily the most fun to drive.
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Renault Twizy
Renault's Twizy is like nothing else on the road. It's a four-wheeled tandem two-seater that crosses a scooter with a car. There are no side windows and even the scissor doors are optional. It is powered by a 17bhp electric motor that takes around three-and-a-half hours to fully charge from a conventional socket. This gives the Twizy a range of around 50 miles, while a top speed of 50mph means it will be able to keep pace only with urban traffic.
Renault Wind (2010-2012)
The Renault Wind is a two-seat, open-top roadster that's based on the Twingo. But while the Twingo doesn’t look distinctive, that's certainly not a complaint you could have with the Wind. It features a clever folding roof, which opens and closes in just 12 seconds. What's more, the roof doesn’t eat into the boot space when the top is down. The Wind is competitively priced, and even entry-level models have plenty of kit as standard. To top it off, the Wind is also good fun to drive.
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Renault ZOE
The Renault ZOE is an all-electric vehicle that features a battery powered electric motor. Slightly larger than a Renault Clio, Renault claims that the ZOE electric vehicle features six world firsts and 60 patents. It is designed to be the world's first truly affordable electric car, with a target price of under £14,000. Customers will have to pay around £65 per month to lease the battery from Renault.
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