Renault Modus
| Company type | Product |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | August 2004 |
| Founder | Renault |
| Defunct | December 2012 |
| Fate | Discontinued |
| Successor | Renault Grand Modus |
| Headquarters | Valladolid , Spain |
Area served | Europe |
| Products | Mini MPV |
| Owner | Renault |
| Parent | Renault |
| Website | www |
The Renault Modus is a mini MPV manufactured by the French automaker Renault between August 2004 and December 2012 at the Valladolid plant in Spain. The production version closely mirrored the concept vehicle unveiled at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. Fundamentally, it represents a taller iteration of the third-generation Clio, sharing its platform and a significant portion of its engine options.
A longer wheelbase edition, known as the Renault Grand Modus, was introduced as an upscale alternative to the Twingo and Clio. It combined practicality and adaptability akin to the larger Renault Scénic, but within a more compact size. The Clio platform supporting the Modus also underpinned related vehicles such as the Nissan Micra and its mini MPV counterpart, the Nissan Note.
Design features
The Modus featured a rear seating arrangement called the Triptic System, which allowed the seats to slide along rails with four predefined settings. The two rear-most positions increased legroom, hip space, and shoulder room for two passengers, while the forward settings enabled seating for three occupants and expanded cargo space.
Additionally, it offered the "Stay Put" system, where the front passenger seat base could be flipped upward to access a storage compartment. An optional boot chute—a drop-down hatch located beneath the rear window on the tailgate—was also available.
During the 2007 facelift for European markets, all versions received colour-matched bumpers, clear Perspex indicator covers, updated side door mouldings, and refreshed interior trims.
Restyle
In February 2008, Renault introduced an updated Modus alongside the new Grand Modus model, which replaced the standard version in Spain. The Grand Modus featured an extended length of and provided a boot capacity of 410 litres () measured below the parcel shelf.
The facelift brought front and rear styling of the standard model into alignment with that of the Grand Modus. The boot chute option was discontinued during this update.
By February 2012, Renault ceased sales of the Modus in the UK market, alongside other models such as Espace, Kangoo, Laguna, and Wind.
Safety
The Modus was notable for being the first small car to achieve a full 5-star rating from Euro NCAP for occupant safety. This rating was supported by six airbags, side impact bars at both front and rear, and ISOFIX mounting points for child seats. It was among the earliest vehicles in its category to offer automatic activation of headlamps and windscreen wipers as optional features.
An optional cornering lamp function was integrated into the main headlamp assembly to improve visibility when turning at speeds below . Higher trim levels such as Privilège and Initiale featured "double distance" Xenon headlamps.
Phase I
| model | engine type | max. power | rpm | max. torque | rpm | top speed |
0–100 km/h (62 mph) |
mpg | CO2 emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| petrol engines all fuel injected | |||||||||
| 1.2 16v | I4 SOHC | 65 PS (48 kW; 64 hp) | 5500 | 105 N⋅m (77 lbf⋅ft) | 4250 | 163 km/h (101 mph) | 15.0 sec | 47.0 | 140 g/km |
| 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) | 5500 | 104 N⋅m (77 lbf⋅ft) | 163 km/h (101 mph) | 13.5 sec | 47.0 | 145 g/km | |||
| 1.4 16v | I4 DOHC | 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp) | 5700 | 127 N⋅m (94 lbf⋅ft) | 177 km/h (110 mph) | 11.4 sec | 42.3 | 161 g/km | |
| 1.6 16v | I4 DOHC | 112 PS (82 kW; 110 hp) | 6000 | 151 N⋅m (111 lbf⋅ft) | 188 km/h (117 mph) | 10.3 sec | 41.6 | 163 g/km | |
| 1.6 16v Auto | 184 km/h (114 mph) | 12.3 sec | 37.8 | 182 g/km | |||||
| diesel engines all Direct Injection (dCi) | |||||||||
| 1.5 dCi | I4 SOHC Turbo | 68 PS (50 kW; 67 hp) | 4000 | 160 N⋅m (118 lbf⋅ft) | 2000 | 158 km/h (98 mph) | 15.3 sec | 60.1 | 125 g/km |
Phase II
| Model | Engine Layout | Maximum Power | RPM | max. Torque | RPM | Top Speed |
0–100 km/h (62 mph) |
MPG | CO2 Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| petrol engines all equipped with fuel injection | |||||||||
| 1.2 16v | I4 SOHC | 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) | 5500 | 104 N⋅m (77 lbf⋅ft) | 4250 | 101 mph (162.5 km/h) | 13.5 sec | 47.9 | 138 g/km |
| 1.2 16v QS5* | 105 mph (169.0 km/h) | 15.0 sec | 50.4 | 134 g/km | |||||
| 1.2 TCe | I4 SOHC Turbocharged | 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp) | 5500 | 145 N⋅m (107 lbf⋅ft) | 3000 | 113 mph (181.9 km/h) | 11.2 sec | 47.1 | 139 g/km |
| 1.6 16v Auto | inline-four engine I4 DOHC | [convert: needs a number] | 6000 | [convert: needs a number] | 4250 | [convert: needs a number] | 12.3 sec | 36.7 | 179 g/km |
| diesel engines all featuring commonrail injection (dCi) | |||||||||
| Renault K-Type engine#K9K dCi 1.5 dCi | inline-four engine I4 SOHC Turbocharger Turbo | Template:Convert 88 PS kW hp 0 abbr=on lk=on | 4000 | Template:Convert 200 Nm 0 abbr=on lk=on | 1750 | Template:Convert 106 mi/h 1 abbr=on | 13.0 sec | 62.8 | 107 g/km |
| 1.5 dCi QS5* | 14.8 sec | 119 g/km | |||||||
- QS5 = QuickShift5
According to the German Automobile Club's (ADAC) 2006 breakdown report, the Modus secured third place within its category for dependability, recording an average of 5.8 failures per 1,000 units over a three-year period. This performance surpassed models such as the Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris, though it trailed behind the Audi A2 and BMW Mini.
See also
- Renault Scénic, Renault’s compact MPV
- Renault Espace, Renault’s large MPV