Long after the passing of Nicole and Papa, Renault's little Clio continues to set the pace in the family supermini stakes.

The French car maker has freshened up the car inside and out but, more significantly, has introduced some new hardware under the bonnet to give it an edge.

The three-door model tested here used a new 1.2-litre, 16-valve petrol engine, which delivers a lot more than the bald statistics might suggest.

It's surprisingly lively, with 75 horsepower on tap, which is plenty for quiet cruising at motorway speeds, but with the ability to deliver superb average fuel consumption.

The Government's combined figure, which usually gives a rough idea of what you can expect in day-to-day use, suggests about you can expect about 41 miles per gallon. But in 320 miles, I managed to top 50mpg.

Another cracking engine in the line-up of five petrol and two new diesel engines, which I tried recently, is the 1.5dCi common rail diesel unit.

Renault says the engine make use of an innovative high-pressure diesel injection system developed with Delphi Automotive Systems, but while you remain blissfully unaware of the high-technology at work, you quickly realise the economy is stunning.