Renault Clio: Driving advice, Eco-driving

Behaviour

• Drive carefully for the first few miles until the engine reaches its normal operating temperature, rather than let it warm up while the vehicle is stationary.
• Speed is expensive.
• Sporty driving uses a lot of fuel: drive with a light right foot.
• Do not overrev the engine in the intermediate gears.

  You should always use the highest gear possible.

• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Brake as little as possible. If you anticipate an obstacle or bend in advance, you may then simply release the accelerator pedal.
• Do not try to maintain the same speed up a hill, accelerate no more than you would on the level. Keep your foot in the same position on the accelerator pedal.
• Double declutching and accelerating before switching off are unnecessary in modern vehicles.
• Bad weather, flooded roads:

Do not drive through
floods if the water is above the lower edge of the wheel rims.

Tyres

• An underinflated tyre increases fuel consumption.
• The use of non-recommended tyres can increase fuel consumption.

Advice on use

• Favour ECO mode.
• Electricity is fuel; switch off all the electrical components which are not really needed. However (safety first), keep your lights on when the visibility is bad (“see and be seen”).
• Use the air vents. Driving with the windows open at 60 mph (100 km/h) will increase fuel consumption by 4%.
• Never fill the fuel tank right to the brim to avoid overflow.
• In vehicles fitted with air conditioning, it is normal to observe an increase in fuel consumption (especially in urban conditions) when it is used. For vehicles fitted with manual air conditioning, switch off the system when it is not required.

  Advice for reducing consumption and therefore helping to preserve the environment: If the vehicle has been parked in the sun, open the doors for a few moments to let the hot air escape before starting the engine.

• Do not leave an empty roof rack fitted to the vehicle.
• It is better to fit a trailer for bulky objects.
• When towing a caravan, fit a wind deflector and adjust it carefully.
• Avoid using the car for door-to-door calls (short journeys with long waits in between) because the engine never reaches its normal operating temperature.

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