Renault makes Clio even cuter
IT’S 25 years since the Renault Clio first arrived in Britain and it’s a car that just keeps getting better and better.
The fourth-generation model – launched back in 2012 – gave the French favourite a shot in the arm and now it is revamp time.
Come October a new-look Clio will be on the scene, smartened up inside and out and featuring extra technology plus new power options.
And for fans of hot Clios the very potent Renault Sport versions are also getting some enhancements to push up their fun factor.
Prices for the new lineup will start at £11,555 – an increase of some £500 – and a new diesel in top grade Dynamic S Nav trim becomes the flagship of the hatchback range priced from £17,755.
It is powered by a 110ps 1.5-litre diesel mated to a six speed manual gearbox which not only gives the new Clio a good amount of pull but is also rated at more than 80 miles per gallon with emissions down to 90g/km.
And that’s not the most economical model – a 90ps version has an official fuel return of 88.3mpg.
On the road, the new diesel impresses, drives well and in everyday conditions more than 60 to the gallon is easily achievable.
The new engine is also the quickest of the diesel Clios and on the petrol front there’s another newcomer in the form of a 1.2-litre 120ps manual which is even sharper out of the blocks.
This one can manage 0 to 60 in nine seconds making it the briskest of the new Clios and has a better fuel return than the automatic 1.2 model Renault has had in the range for the past four years.
The new 1.2-litre manual has carbon emissions of 118g/ km compared to 120g/km for the auto which equates to an official fuel return of 53.3mpg – we saw an average of 37mpg.
In the new Clio the 1.2 manual can be had from £15,455 or £1,200 more for range topping trim which makes it quite a car. Satnav, full LED lighting, automatic climate control and parking sensors all round are standard and throughout the range Renault has improved the Clio’s interior with more supportive seats and better quality trim.
The entry level Clio is now fitted with Renault’s R&GO connectivity system which hooks up a smartphone’s functions to the car giving access to more music and the phone’s navigation display.
Personalisation options – key attractions in the modern hatch market – remain plentiful and the new Clio can be had with 30 combinations of trim, colours and decal accoutrements.
There are also some new paint jobs including a deep red and a classy grey finish.