Which Is Best – Renault Clio, VW Polo Or Suzuki Swift?
The SUV is supposed to be king of the road right now, but the hatchback is very popular and many serious drivers prefer the lower centre of gravity, better fuel consumption and nippier handling of the hatch.
There are a number of popular hatchbacks – you will see a Polo every time you come around a corner, while the Suzuki Swift is becoming evident on our roads. The Renault Clio has been a perennial stalwart in this segment as well, so let’s compare the three. Just for fun.
Looks
Of the three, the Clio is definitely the best looking, with its stylish curves and swooping lines. It looks ready to go. The Polo is a very smart-looking car, but perhaps it has been looking the same kind of smart for a bit too long. The Swift has understated good looks, neat lines and a well-balanced body, but perhaps one can take understatement a bit too far?
Inside
The Polo gives you a very nice facia with a digital instrument cluster and an 8-inch infotainment system with Apple/Android. The Clio has the same, but its screen is bigger at 9.3-inch. The Swift’s screen is smaller and offers fewer features.
A big thing about a hatch is the size of the boot, as anyone going away for a weekend will confirm. The Clio is the leader there with 391-L, followed by the Polo with 351-L and the Swift with 286-L.
The Clio has digital climate controls, compared to the Polo’s more analogue offering. The Swift has a traditional aircon which works very well as well.
Under the bonnet
Both the Clio and Polo offer a 1.0-L three-cylinder turbo, while the Swift has a naturally aspirated 1.2-L four-cylinder petrol. The latter offers lower kW than the turbos, but this is mitigated somewhat by the Swift’s very low kerb weight which means a 0-100km/h in 12 seconds. . Both the Polo and Clio will do this in just under 11 seconds. Fuel consumption for all three cars is under 6L/100km, depending on the weight of your foot.
Price and warranty
- The Renault Clio starts at R324 900 and has a 5-year/150 000km warranty.
- The VW Polo turbo starts at R353 600 and has a 3-year/120 000km warranty.
- The Suzuki Swift starts at R189 900 and has a 5-year/200 000 warranty.
Verdict
The Renault Clio and VW Polo are very much in the same ballpark, with the Clio shading the Polo in price, warranty and some features. The Suzuki is almost in a different league, much cheaper, but offering less of a car.
The Clio and the Polo both have a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, while the Swift gets 3-stars.
Our verdict is that the Renault Clio is the best of the three, although the Polo comes a close second. The Swift should not really be in this comparison, as it is a completely different level of vehicle with a different buyer than the others.
Images: VW Polo image by alexwiersma | Suzuki Swift image by DaraKero_F | Licensed under CC BY 2.0.
