If you're the sort of person who is convinced that Mars Bars are getting smaller and that we're constantly getting less for our money, you might want to run the rule over Renault's five-door version of the Clio III. Substantial doesn't even begin to cover it. In fact, as I noosed up behind an old Megane on the press launch, I had the distinct impression I was sitting in the bigger car.

This question gnawed at me on the flight home and digging out some old press material threw up some interesting statistics. Although the Clio III is a fair bit shorter, there's only 5mm between the two car's wheelbase figures and the newcomer is both taller and wider. Get inside and the story illustrates quite how much this sort of car has changed in the past ten years or so. Everything in the Megane feels thin and basic compared to the Clio. In order to not only attain a Euro NCAP five star rating and a convincing perception of quality, everything in the Clio's interior seems supersized. The seats are beefier, the dashboard bigger, the pillars chunkier and the doors twice as thick. Drop into the driver's seat and the door thunks shut behind you in a way that was reserved for top-end Mercedes models back in 1996.

The way this perception then trips your brain into thinking you're in a bigger car is a double edged sword. You begin to expect a genuine big car luxury ambience which the Clio just can't offer. The dashboard is well laid out but the plastics deteriorate in quality as they get further from the driver. An initial pang of disappointment is staved off only when you remind yourself that this car isn't going head to head with cars like the Ford Focus, the Honda Civic and the Volkswagen Golf. It's a Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Fiesta rival. Suddenly the Clio III seems almost extravagantly over-engineered.

"Renault has supersized the Clio but buyers needn't feel guilty about going large"

The five-door version that we take a look at here doesn't look quite so dynamic as the three-door bodystyle but it's still worthy of consideration even if you're one of those who buys purely on aesthetics. Renault recognise that the three-door car will mop up about 85 per cent of all UK Clio sales but the five-door car adds a useful string to the car's bow, especially for family buyers. Having driven both variants, I'd have to say that for the time being at least, the five-door looks the better buy.

It's a car with some serious shoes to fill, the two previous generations of Clio racking up over 850,000 sales in the UK since 1991. This represents a mere 10 per cent of total Clio production with sales split broadly equally between Clio I and II. What's rather surprising is that initial designs of the Clio III resembling a shrunken Megane haven't been carried through. The Clio is instead a far more conservative design than its bustle-backed big brother, the five-door car in particularly looking remarkably conventional for Renault, a company that prides itself on design innovation. Nevertheless, it's still an undoubted good looker with broad shoulders that frame the rear light clusters and a more sculpted appearance at the front end.

The Clio III five-door is offered with a wide array of petrol and Euro IV-compliant common rail diesel engines. The petrol engine range comprises a 75bhp 1.2-litre, a 100bhp 1.2-litre turbo and a 138bhp 2.0-litre, while the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine comes in a choice of three power outputs: 68bhp, 86bhp and 106bhp. The list of available transmission options for Clio III is the same as for Modus and includes a six speed manual on the most powerful dCi 106. For the first time, a robotised "quick-shift" gearbox commanded by paddles located behind the steering wheel will also be available. Prices start at £9,455 and five trim levels are available: Authentique, Expression, Dynamique and exclusively for the five door, luxurious Privilege and Initiale.

One of the biggest factors in many supermini buying decisions is safety and the Clio II set quite a benchmark. The Clio III has excellent neutral weight distribution and some serious brakes to prevent an accident happening in the first instance. It is delivered as standard with Generation 8 Bosch ABS plus electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and emergency brake assist (EBA). Other options include electronic stability programme (ESP) incorporating ASR traction control, understeer control and MSR engine torque overrun regulation.

Along with the Modus, the Clio III is the first car in its segment to offer additional beam cornering headlamps, while double distance xenon headlamps are also available for enhanced night visibility. The Clio III's structure includes a number of programmed deformation zones and has been designed to function with Renault's third-generation System for Restraint and Protection. This includes up to eight airbags, incorporating two adaptive front airbags complete with load limiter and double pretensioners for the front seats. If you must crash, at least have the foresight to do it in a Clio III.

The five-door Renault Clio III makes an extremely convincing family choice. It's not particularly sporty in feel, but buyers in this market don't tend to seek out tarmac-scorching performance or bone-jarring ride. That's why it feels a better fit for its market than the similarly soft-riding but aggressively styled three-door car. You also get a lot of metal for your money when compared with rivals. It may not be glamorous but the Clio III five-door is going to take a heck of a lot of beating.

TOP 5 CLIO DEALS

The results below show the top CLIO deals on buyacar

	Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 86 Dynamique 5dr [AC] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £191	Saving £2,205	Price £10,685
	Renault Clio 1.2 Campus 2007 5dr (Pre-model) Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £131	Saving £1,721	Price £7,049
	Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 106 Initiale 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £249	Saving £2,424	Price £13,571
	Renault Clio 1.6 VVT Expression 5dr Auto Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £194	Saving £2,196	Price £10,789
	Renault Clio 1.2 TCE Dynamique 5dr [AC] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £183	Saving £2,005	Price £9,935

typical 12.03% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000