By David Ting

The French make some of the world's most desirable luxury goods, everything from Louis Vuitton to the Airbus A380. But when it comes to French luxury cars, consumers' response is either lukewarm or stone-cold. Citroen's C6 flagship, for example, seems to appeal only to French diplomats and the occasional local businessman, who is probably doing business with a French company or two. Peugeot tried, and failed, to make an impression with its 607, which departed our shores as quietly as it arrived. Then there is Renault, whose quirky Vel Satis was ignored by all and sundry.

French superminis, on the other hand, are pretty popular. People in the know appreciate their inimitable sense of style, generally superb suspension and luxurious touches. French hatchbacks are premium playthings compared to the plain appliances from Japan. The latest from Paris is the rejuvenated Renault Clio.

Keen pricing continues to be the Clio's trump card. At $64k the renewed Renault currently undercuts its two major rivals, the 1.4-litre Peugeot 207 and Opel Corsa, which have breached the $70k mark. More interestingly, 12 months ago the pre-update Clio cost a bit more than the most expensive Honda Jazz, the 1.5-litre auto with Skyroof. Now, due to currency exchange rates and other mysterious market forces, the new Clio actually costs less than the cheapest Jazz, the 1.3-litre manual model with fabric seats and plastic wheel covers.

Alloy rims and leather seats are optional on the Clio too. Other than that, the small car is big on standard features straight from the factory, although not all of them are useful in an urban runabout. The cruise control with speed limiter, for example. Because on this island, it is mostly stop-start traffic and the highest highway speed limit is just 90km/h. Making the cruise control system appear even more redundant is its strangely placed main switch, which sits beside the handbrake.

The other interior changes are more welcome. The dashboard, particularly its top half, is softer to the touch. The stubby steering stalks feel more substantial than before, with the indicator sound possibly a little louder too. And the redesigned audio panel is far more user-friendly now. Automatic headlights, rain-activated wipers, reverse parking proximity sensors, a trip computer and a roomy back seat also contribute to the Clio's on-board comfort. Thankfully, the previous car's ridiculous shift paddles have been ditched. Too bad Renault didn't also throw out the tacky seat belt height adjusters.

Mechanically, the Clio is unchanged. But cabin insulation is said to have been improved, to the benefit of cruising refinement. The 1.6-litre engine is still a free-revving, energetic number that gets increasingly vocal as the revs rise, while the 4-speed automatic is as smooth as the ride, apart from its slight twitch downshifting into first gear as the car comes to a stop. The performance is enthusiastic rather than fantastic, but it's strong enough for most traffic situations, while the handling is neat. In the event that you decide to do a Nelson Piquet Junior in Singapore, really accidentally this time, the Clio will protect with its six airbags, 5-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating and state-of-the-art seat belts.

The refreshed Clio has a nice new key, by the way. A classy design that retracts the ignition blade into a solid fob, it symbolises how the small Renault has matured into something "bigger".

David Ting is the deputy editor of Torque magazine by SPH Magazines.

Get a copy of the Nov 2009 issue of Torque to read about the latest on all things to do with cars, in the most exciting ways. Torque published by SPH Magazines is available at all newsstands now. Check out more stories at Torque online, www.torque.com.sg.