Anyone in the habit of getting lost while driving needs to take a look at the latest Clio.

Renault has done a deal with satnav specialists TomTom to fit the latest Carminat TomTom system into the car for less than £500.

What you get for your money is a near six-inch colour screen, which is substantially larger than removable systems, mounted in the top of the dashboard, delivering a precise, clear display.

Detailed colour maps, including ‘birdview’ display, gives accurate directions, with the addition of traffic information, speed restrictions and speed camera location alerts.

It is a surprisingly, comprehensive package but the Clio has more than a few surprises up its sleeve.

One is the amount of space available. I thought we might struggle to squeeze in all the bags of food shopping that my beloved decided to take to our daughter, whose university food store was running perilously close to empty.

But then came my daughter’s plea: “Can you bring my bicycle down as well? I really need it.”

My instant reaction was that there was no way it would fit in. I was wrong.

I was also wrong about the engine which powered the test car.

On paper, a 1.2-litre engine ought to struggle on motorways and need constant shifting up and down the gearbox to make decent progress.

Not this one. The TCE 100 is, as the name suggests, turbocharged and capable of delivering 100 horsepower while boasting the lowest carbon dioxide emissions of any 100 bhp petrol engine.

All this while delivering real-world fuel consumption in the high 40s.

But perhaps the most endearing qualities of the new Clio are its ride and handling.

The car is superbly soundproofed and Renault says particular efforts have been made to filter out engine and transmission-generated noise, as well as road noise.

Care has also been taken with the sound damping between the cabin and the engine, while wind noise has been reduced thanks to the use of inflatable inserts in the structure’s hollow sections.

An upmarket audio system comes as standard, with a 4x20W RDS radio with single-CD MP3 player with four speakers, two tweeters and fingertip remote controls, mounted heind the steering wheel; a USB slot allowing connection of MP3 players and Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming and phone calls.

If you want to push the boat out, optional equipment includes cruise control, speed limiter, additional cornering lights, rear parking sensor and automatic headlamp and wiper activation.

The satelleite navigation system, by the way, is operated by a user-friendly Bluetooth remote control, and covers about 40 countries across western and eastern Europe and Scandinavia, plus Turkey and South Africa, so now there is no excuse for getting lost – however far you are going.

Auto facts Renault Clio 1.2 Dynamique TCE 100 3dr

Price: £12,370 I

ns group: Four

Fuel consumption (Combined): 48.7mpg

Top speed: 114mph

Length: 398.6cm/156.9in

Width: 170.7cm/67.2in

Luggage space: 10.1 cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 12.1 gallons/ 55 litres

CO2 emissions: 137g/km

Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles