Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique (Drive 1)
News and automotive information about Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique car Drive 1. Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique car pictures and images Drive 1.
Renault Wind 1.6 133 Dynamique FIRST DRIVE Test date 27 August 2010 Price as tested £15,900 For only 131bhp, engine makes a good noise
What is it? The Wind is a little two-seat convertible coupe with a chassis that derives from the old (Mk2) Clio platform, which also underpins the latest Twingo (and in part the Dacia Duster). Given that summer met an abrupt end last week, forgive me if I write not about how the Renault Wind feels with the roof down, but instead how its Renaultsport-derived chassis copes with British roads. See the test pics of the Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique Pretty well, is the short answer. It’s a versatile old thing, and is testament to how comprehensively developed most recent chassis are; they crash so safely and are so stiff that they can stay in use for longer. This platform is also smaller and lighter than the one that underpins the latest Clio, so even with the weight of the electric hood mechanism (which wild rain prevents me from flipping back, even though it only takes 12 seconds), you’re looking at a pretty healthy 1173kg kerb weight. Roof up, there’s no hint that the chassis isn’t as rigid as a regular Twingo, and its suspension set-up is based on that of the old Renaultsport Clio, so it’s agile and crisp, too. It doesn’t ride supremely, but I wouldn’t expect it to; this is the kind of car that revels in feeling small and keen, so you allow it the odd skip over bumps. This test variant has the 131bhp 1.6-litre engine from the sporty Twingo. While it produces more torque overall than the alternative 1.2-litre turbo engine, its advantage isn’t great (118lb ft versus 112) and it arrives higher up at 4400rpm (versus 3500rpm). So it’s no wonder you have to wind up the 1.6 for brisk progress. I’ve got no problem with doing that; the five-speed ’box shifts pretty sweetly, the engine sounds good and the pedal weights are all spot on for quick upshifts and revvy heel-and-toe downshifts. But I wonder if that’s what buyers of cabrios are really after. Perhaps that’s why Renault says the Wind offers something unique: a sporty little two-seat coupé (with surprisingly capacious boot) and a roof that just happens to come off. The Honda CR-X Del Sol or Fiat X1/9 of the modern day, perhaps. That’s fine by us. There are enough boulevardier small convertibles around and they’re mostly dreadful. I’d pick a Wind over them any day. That the hood folds back is just an added bonus. Matt Prior Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique Price: £16,400; Top speed: 125mph; 0-62mph: 9.2sec; Economy: 40.3mpg (combined); CO2: 165g/km; Engine: 4 cyls, 1598cc, petrol; Power: 131bhp at 6750rpm; Torque: 118lb ft at 4400rpm; Gearbox: 5-spd manual A quick update on the leaky roof on our Renault Wind. We dropped it off at the Smiths Renault garage in Peterborough and they spent two days fixing the leak and retesting it under high water pressure. What was the problem? It seems the seal where the roof meets the passenger side window had started to go. I was surprised on such a new car, but apparently jet washing the Wind had put a lot of pressure on the seals. So there you go – be careful where you wash your car. I have to admit I've only washed the car once in the past eight months myself; most of the time I visit a hand wash in Peterborough. Our Renault Wind has been resigned to the driveway for much of the long bank holiday weekend. I've owned a black car before, but had forgotten just how much dust they can attract. So today I nipped to the local hand wash to clean it up - and a good job they did too. Only when they jet washed the dust off did I notice a small leak on the passenger side where the roof meets the glass. It's quite surprising. I've heard of soft-tops leaking under high-pressure hoses, but should a hard top let water in too? I was rather hoping it would stay bone dry. A few weeks back someone asked me ‘Does the Renault Wind roof really retract in 12 seconds?’ I’d never timed it before – all I knew was that it was pretty quick and that's all I really needed to know. Does it matter if it’s 12 seconds, 10sec or 15sec? I’m not too fussed, so long as I’m not waiting all day. So I dusted down my stopwatch and put the Wind’s folding hard-top to the test. It seemed appropriate; dare I say it for fear of jinxing our early summer days, we’ve been blessed with sunshine here in the east Midlands. And yes, it does fold back and close away in 12 seconds. No complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority here. However, there are a few niggles. Every time you lower the roof, the windows open all the way too. So once the roof is tucked away neatly, if you want the windows back up to avoid 'Wind' blast you have to manually hold the buttons down to put them up again. I counted and this takes a further eight seconds before you are ready to go. As the sun has blessed us with its presence today, a lunchtime drive seemed in order. Now the UK clocks have sprung forwards, it's a great chance to test the Wind's USP. Glasses on, roof down - in a dozen seconds, no time at all - is the best way to enjoy the Wind. And wind you will enjoy, as the side windows curve down towards the back, letting the breeze blast in. This isn't necessarily a complaint; why would you have the roof down if you didn't want the wind in your hair? However, on a sunny day like this the deep-set dials are a problem. It's just impossible to read the instruments when the sun is head on. You end up either guessing your speed by the engine sound, or ducking forward to take a quick check that you are abiding by the law. Drove the Wind last night and noticed a couple of slightly odd things about it: firstly, xenon lights from cars behind me seemed incredibly bright. I thought the first car had badly adjusted headlights, but then it happened twice more – a really bright, off-putting glare. Is it because the Wind is quite low (and, no, the following cars weren’t SUVS), or is it something to do with the rear screen? Whatever, it’s weird. Secondly, despite it being a tiny car, it’s actually quite hard to see out of. The A-pillars are a pair of blinkers and you can’t see one bit of the front bodywork. Worse, the wipers don’t sit flush under the bonnet, so they narrow the low, sloped windscreen further; if you’re six feet tall or so (and, fair enough, most Wind buyers won’t be), flipping down the tiny sun visor shuts out most of the road ahead.
News and automotive information about Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique car Drive 1. Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique car pictures and images Drive 1.
Renault Wind 1.6 133 Dynamique FIRST DRIVE Test date 27 August 2010 Price as tested £15,900 For only 131bhp, engine makes a good noise
What is it? The Wind is a little two-seat convertible coupe with a chassis that derives from the old (Mk2) Clio platform, which also underpins the latest Twingo (and in part the Dacia Duster). Given that summer met an abrupt end last week, forgive me if I write not about how the Renault Wind feels with the roof down, but instead how its Renaultsport-derived chassis copes with British roads. See the test pics of the Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique Pretty well, is the short answer. It’s a versatile old thing, and is testament to how comprehensively developed most recent chassis are; they crash so safely and are so stiff that they can stay in use for longer. This platform is also smaller and lighter than the one that underpins the latest Clio, so even with the weight of the electric hood mechanism (which wild rain prevents me from flipping back, even though it only takes 12 seconds), you’re looking at a pretty healthy 1173kg kerb weight. Roof up, there’s no hint that the chassis isn’t as rigid as a regular Twingo, and its suspension set-up is based on that of the old Renaultsport Clio, so it’s agile and crisp, too. It doesn’t ride supremely, but I wouldn’t expect it to; this is the kind of car that revels in feeling small and keen, so you allow it the odd skip over bumps. This test variant has the 131bhp 1.6-litre engine from the sporty Twingo. While it produces more torque overall than the alternative 1.2-litre turbo engine, its advantage isn’t great (118lb ft versus 112) and it arrives higher up at 4400rpm (versus 3500rpm). So it’s no wonder you have to wind up the 1.6 for brisk progress. I’ve got no problem with doing that; the five-speed ’box shifts pretty sweetly, the engine sounds good and the pedal weights are all spot on for quick upshifts and revvy heel-and-toe downshifts. But I wonder if that’s what buyers of cabrios are really after. Perhaps that’s why Renault says the Wind offers something unique: a sporty little two-seat coupé (with surprisingly capacious boot) and a roof that just happens to come off. The Honda CR-X Del Sol or Fiat X1/9 of the modern day, perhaps. That’s fine by us. There are enough boulevardier small convertibles around and they’re mostly dreadful. I’d pick a Wind over them any day. That the hood folds back is just an added bonus. Matt Prior Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique Price: £16,400; Top speed: 125mph; 0-62mph: 9.2sec; Economy: 40.3mpg (combined); CO2: 165g/km; Engine: 4 cyls, 1598cc, petrol; Power: 131bhp at 6750rpm; Torque: 118lb ft at 4400rpm; Gearbox: 5-spd manual A quick update on the leaky roof on our Renault Wind. We dropped it off at the Smiths Renault garage in Peterborough and they spent two days fixing the leak and retesting it under high water pressure. What was the problem? It seems the seal where the roof meets the passenger side window had started to go. I was surprised on such a new car, but apparently jet washing the Wind had put a lot of pressure on the seals. So there you go – be careful where you wash your car. I have to admit I've only washed the car once in the past eight months myself; most of the time I visit a hand wash in Peterborough. Our Renault Wind has been resigned to the driveway for much of the long bank holiday weekend. I've owned a black car before, but had forgotten just how much dust they can attract. So today I nipped to the local hand wash to clean it up - and a good job they did too. Only when they jet washed the dust off did I notice a small leak on the passenger side where the roof meets the glass. It's quite surprising. I've heard of soft-tops leaking under high-pressure hoses, but should a hard top let water in too? I was rather hoping it would stay bone dry. A few weeks back someone asked me ‘Does the Renault Wind roof really retract in 12 seconds?’ I’d never timed it before – all I knew was that it was pretty quick and that's all I really needed to know. Does it matter if it’s 12 seconds, 10sec or 15sec? I’m not too fussed, so long as I’m not waiting all day. So I dusted down my stopwatch and put the Wind’s folding hard-top to the test. It seemed appropriate; dare I say it for fear of jinxing our early summer days, we’ve been blessed with sunshine here in the east Midlands. And yes, it does fold back and close away in 12 seconds. No complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority here. However, there are a few niggles. Every time you lower the roof, the windows open all the way too. So once the roof is tucked away neatly, if you want the windows back up to avoid 'Wind' blast you have to manually hold the buttons down to put them up again. I counted and this takes a further eight seconds before you are ready to go. As the sun has blessed us with its presence today, a lunchtime drive seemed in order. Now the UK clocks have sprung forwards, it's a great chance to test the Wind's USP. Glasses on, roof down - in a dozen seconds, no time at all - is the best way to enjoy the Wind. And wind you will enjoy, as the side windows curve down towards the back, letting the breeze blast in. This isn't necessarily a complaint; why would you have the roof down if you didn't want the wind in your hair? However, on a sunny day like this the deep-set dials are a problem. It's just impossible to read the instruments when the sun is head on. You end up either guessing your speed by the engine sound, or ducking forward to take a quick check that you are abiding by the law. Drove the Wind last night and noticed a couple of slightly odd things about it: firstly, xenon lights from cars behind me seemed incredibly bright. I thought the first car had badly adjusted headlights, but then it happened twice more – a really bright, off-putting glare. Is it because the Wind is quite low (and, no, the following cars weren’t SUVS), or is it something to do with the rear screen? Whatever, it’s weird. Secondly, despite it being a tiny car, it’s actually quite hard to see out of. The A-pillars are a pair of blinkers and you can’t see one bit of the front bodywork. Worse, the wipers don’t sit flush under the bonnet, so they narrow the low, sloped windscreen further; if you’re six feet tall or so (and, fair enough, most Wind buyers won’t be), flipping down the tiny sun visor shuts out most of the road ahead.