Winner of the Best Fleet Supermini title at this year’s Great British Fleet Awards, the Clio gets a thorough testing in hybrid guise from Al Suttie.

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Renault Clio 1.6 E-Tech esprit Alpine

List price (BiK): £23,885 (24%) CO2: 97g/km Economy: 65.7mpg Test efficiency: 64.2mpg

Monday

Beyond a bit of an exterior refresh recently, it could be easy to overlook the Renault Clio. That would be a shame, in my view, as it’s one of the more able cars in the supermini class. The Clio pulls off that neat trick of being small on the outside yet big on the inside, which is usually a good indicator of other talents. Some time spent with this fleet-friendly hybrid version promises to be as fun as it is frugal.

Tuesday

A fair bit of city driving today proves the Clio in E-Tech form with its 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric assistance is happy to run in EV mode for much of the time. Up to 27mph, the Clio will stick to emissions-free mode, though for no more than a couple of miles before it needs a helping hand, and charge, from internal combustion. When the petrol engine comes into play, it does so smoothly and quietly.

Wednesday

Out on some faster, more flowing roads and the Clio’s hybrid powertrain shows another side to its talents. The official 0-62mph time is 9.3 seconds and the Renault feels strong as it pulls through the gears of the automatic transmission. Up to motorway speeds, it’s nippy and gives the Clio a more grown-up appeal. It also deals with the motorway with confidence to add to its rounded talents.

Thursday

Back roads present a challenge for many superminis, particularly when the now-defunct Ford Fiesta still casts a long shadow over how these cars should drive. The Clio is one of the very few in the sector to step out of this shade and show itself to be genuinely fun to steer in its own right. While not quite as agile as a Fiesta into and through corners, the Renault enjoys an accuracy in its steering and response that most superminis can only dream of.

Friday

If there is a chink in the armour of this Clio, it’s not to do with the hybrid set-up. Rather, it’s the rear seat space. Carrying three adults in the car today, including myself as a passenger at one point in the rear, showed that the French machine can do this but is not the best. Where a Volkswagen Polo or Škoda Fabia provides surprisingly generous rear knee room, the Clio has me splaying my knees to fit.

Saturday

Weekend chores sees the Clio in what many would regard as a natural habitat for a supermini – the supermarket. It’s something the Renault knocks off with ease thanks to a boot that puts almost any other car in the class to shame, plus several from the class above. It’s very big and takes all I can shove in there, and with room to spare. It’s a fair trade-off against rear seat space.

Sunday

A relatively straightforward hybrid car such as the Renault Clio E-Tech can be all too easy to walk past in the rush to have an EV or stick with just petrol. However, I reckon the Clio makes the case with its E-Tech hybrid set-up very eloquently as it just works without demanding anything in return. It’s cheap to fuel, easy on tax, and drives very well. Pound for pound, it has to be one of the best superminis available right now.