The improvements are quickly covered, stretching to more stylish clear ???crystal??? indicator lenses for the front and rear lights and the wing mirror indicators. At the rear, the car???s circular lights are also clear lens affairs and there???s the familiar Renault rear bustle tagging along behind, first seen on the latest Megane. There???s a wider selection of colours too ??? and body-coloured bumpers for entry-level models like the Authentique and Expression 1.2-litre variants we???re looking at here. On the inside, there???s smarter seat upholstery and higher quality interior materials for the dash and centre console. Prices start at ??9,205. The Modus certainly looks the part, resembling a slimmed-down Espace, and still looks modern in the face of competition from comparable cars like Fiat???s Idea and Vauxhall???s Meriva. Being a very distinctly family-oriented vehicle, the Modus is also the safest supermini currently available on the market, having been the first model in its class to gain the coveted five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. This also goes along way to ensuring that the Modus 1.2-litre 16-valve achieves a 2E Insurance rating, one of the lowest in its class. The importance of this car to Renault cannot be understated. Fully one-third of all cars sold in Europe hail after all from the small car segment where it???s no longer enough just to have a conventional supermini. With no citycar on its books until the next generation Twingo arrives, Renault needs the Modus to sell well to bolster its performance in this sector ??? and so far, it???s been doing pretty well. Only available in five-door guise, the Modus makes a convincing fist of things, especially when it comes to the vital ???first five seconds??? the period of time in which the majority of new car sales are either won or lost.

The interior is exceptionally airy, the huge amount of glass up top and the low waistline brightening the cabin. The driving position feels more like a mini-MPV than a conventional hatch and the centrally mounted instrument panel allows the designers to make a feature of the smooth sweep of the fascia, again giving a clean, minimalist look. The Modus 1.2-litre 16-valve comes in two trim levels, the familiar Authentique and Expression styles. The Authentique features body-coloured bumpers, tinted glass, fully reclining front seats, 60/40 split rear seats and an RDS radio/cassette with fingertip remote controls. With the Expression, additional features include front and rear reading lights, electrically operated and heated door mirrors, curtain airbags, an air recirculation facility and a single CD/RDS radio again with fingertip remote controls. The suspension of the Modus draws its inspiration from that of the M??gane II, itself one of the best riding cars in its class. Both its ride and road-handling aim to match best-in-class levels. The 1.2-litre 16-valve engine won???t break any speed records with a 0-62mph achieved in 13.5 seconds and a top speed of 101mph, but then buyers of these cars aren???t in the market for out-and-out performance. They are generally more interested in the fuel comsumption figures and the Modus 1.2-litre 16-valve won???t disappoint here either, returning 47.1mpg on the combined cycle. A five-speed manual gearbox is also taken from the M??gane, with gear ratios adapted for the Modus. Renault have also worked hard to ensure low noise levels and the Modus 1.2-litre 16-valve features more noise insulation material than any other direct rival. The Modus??? rear hatch can open much like a conventional hatchback (that is, hinged at the top) or the lower section can open using hinges at the bottom, thus making it easy to access the luggage bay in cramped conditions. Should you ever get a puncture in the Modus, you???ll appreciate the sheer amount of design ingenuity in the way Renault have engineered the spare wheel system. No car in this class can cut it these days without generous safety provision and the Modus adopts a belt and braces philosophy. It benefits from Bosch 8.0 anti-lock brakes with brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist as standard. Buyers can also opt for a new-generation ESP electronic stability control with ASR traction control and if you go for the Expression trim, then an automatic tyre pressure monitor is also available. Passive safety is impressive, reflecting Renault???s strategy and expertise in this area. The Modus structure includes numerous strengthened crumple zones, designed to work in harmony with the restraint mechanisms of Renault's third-generation System for Restraint and Protection (SRP3). Other safety features of the Modus are its six airbags ??? including two adaptive front airbags ??? and front safety belts with load limiters and double pretensioners. The Renault Modus 1.2-litre 16-valve may be just the ticket to keep the Valladolid factory???s production lines churning out this cute supermini. With the Modus, Renault would seem to have a winner on their hands providing they continue to keep the pricing competitive and the specification up to the mark. The Modus 1.2-litre 16-valve remains a safe and economical option amongst supermini MPVs.