Feature: Coolest French cars
The land of romance and the World Cup also makes some very nice cars.
Sunday 7: Coolest French cars
France is famous for three main exports - cheese, wine and hot hatches.
Or at least that’s how it seems with the Gallic preference for small, fast cars. But there is more to it than just hot hatches as you’ll discover when you read on.
To celebrate the country’s recent Football World Cup success and Bastille Day we have chosen seven of our favourite cars from the land of croissants, the Eiffel Tower and Alain Prost.
Peugeot 308 GTi
Peugeot has been famous for hot hatches ever since the iconic 205 GTi launched back in 1984. In 2018 the brand offers two pumped up hatchbacks, the 208 GTi and the 308 GTi, and it’s the latter that we love the most.
Peugeot started with its already impressive-to-drive and lightweight 308 and added a 200kW/330Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine under the bonnet. It sends that grunt to the front wheels through a six-speed manual for maximum driver engagement.
It may not be the fastest or most powerful hot hatch but it is one of the most fun to drive.
Renault Megane RS
Renault Sport, the company’s motorsport division, has earned a reputation for turning ho-hum hatchbacks into hi-po heroes. The new Megane RS is due to arrive in Australia in September but we’ve already sampled it at Spain’s Jerez circuit and come away thoroughly impressed.
It’s a major departure from the old model, ditching three-doors for five and downsizing the engine from 2.0-litres for a 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit. While it may be smaller it’s more powerful than before, with 205kW and 390Nm on tap.
Another major difference is it will be available with the choice of a six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic transmission for the first time.
Renault Clio RS
Renault doesn’t offer just one good hot hatch - it has two. The Megane’s baby brother is the Clio RS which has been on sale since 2013.
The pint-sized pocket rocket may be small in size but it packs a big punch thanks to 162kW 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and dual-clutch transmission.
While it may not be as well loved as its naturally-aspirated and manual gearbox predecessors, it is still one of the most enjoyable city cars to drive today.
Peugeot 5008
Of course the French don’t just do hot hatches and recently Peugeot has demonstrated its ability to make great SUVs.
First came the latest 3008 - the French alternative to the Volkswagen Tiguan - and it followed it up with the seven-seat 5008, which is a stylish and practical SUV with a beautiful cabin and flexible seating layout.
It’s well equipped for the money and covered by a five-year warranty to give you peace-of-mind not typically associated with French cars.
It’s powered by a small but punchy petrol or diesel engines that are also impressively efficient. You can even get an electric scooter that folds away under the floor in the boot.
Citroen C4 Cactus
The French are renowned for their ability to build quirky cars and the C4 Cactus is perhaps the greatest current example.
The doors, rear tailgate and front bumper are trimmed with ‘Airbumps’, air-filled plastic pockets that are designed to take impacts from shopping trolleys, bags and poles.
The Cactus’ interior is funky too, with door handles that resemble suitcase handles and a rubber patch on top of the glovebox to stop items sliding off. It’s also comfortable, with sofa-like seats that are soft yet supportive.
An update in 2017 saw the introduction of a new conventional six-speed automatic paired to an 81kW 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, replacing the previous (unloveable) robotized manual gearbox.
It helped make the Cactus more fun to drive to match its quirky character.
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 is France’s answer to the Porsche 718 Cayman - a compact, mid-engined, lightweight, rear-wheel drive coupe.
It is the first new Alpine model since the A610 rolled off the production line in 1995. But the new A110’s design harks back to the classic A110 of the 1960s and 70s, with rally-inspired headlights, wrap-around rear window and distinctive body lines.
Powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo engine, taken from the new Megane RS, that produces 185kW and 320Nm of torque, the A110 blasts to 100km/h from a standstill in just 4.5 seconds. It lands in Australia later in 2018.
Renault Kangoo
Sporty or quirky is the theme here but we’ve saved France’s other great skill until last. They make good vans too, especially small, city-sized offerings like the Kangoo.
It makes sense that a country with old cities with narrow roads and limited parking would come up with a clever solution to moving lots of cargo in a small vehicle.
The Kangoo has a punchy turbo diesel engine and car-like handling that made it a deserving winner of the Best Small Van category at our inaugural Commercial Car of the Year awards.
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