Renault has pulled the covers off the all-new, sixth-generation Clio, continuing the legacy of a nameplate that it first launched all the way back in 1990.
While staying true its supermini dimensions, the new Clio has nonetheless gotten a slight growth spurt, and brings with it a new design language that sets it markedly apart from its predecessors.
It now sports a longer bonnet with strong character lines, as well as a dynamic roofline meant to mimic that of a coupe. You'll notice too that its daytime running lights, which seem to hug its front bumper, call to mind the diamond shape of the Renault logo. At the rear, the Clio's distinctive styling is accentuated by three-dimensional, single-piece tail lamps.
Elsewhere, black wheel arches give the Clio a slightly crossover-esque aesthetic, with wheel options peaking at a maximum size of 18 inches. You're not mistaken too if the Clio looks beefier than before; as mentioned, it's now longer (by 67mm), wider (by 39mm) and taller (by 11mm) than before. Retained hallmarks, however, do include those now-signature concealed rear door handles.
Onboard, two 10-inch screens serve duty for infotainment and for the driver's instrument cluster. The Clio now also runs Renault's latest OpenR Link infotainment system with Google Maps, Google Assistant, and other Google features built-in, alongside support for over-the-air software updates.
Despite its entry-level positioning, the Clio now gets an electronic parking brake as standard too, and offers drivers up to 29 ADAS features depending on trim.
As an ostensible sign of the times, this latest Clio is the first generation not to be offered with the option of a diesel engine. At launch, two petrol powertrains are available instead.
The first is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged TCe engine, which puts out 114bhp and 190Nm of torque. This is mated solely to a manual gearbox, allowing the Clio to complete the century sprint in 10.1 seconds.
Greener drivers can alternatively opt for a new full hybrid powertrain that blends greater performance and efficiency.
Combining an electric motor with a 1.8-litre engine, the hybrid Clio - dubbed the E-Tech variant - puts out a total of 158bhp, and is equipped with an intelligent multi-mode gearbox.
The latter allows the Clio E-Tech to operate in a variety of drive modes, comprising not just full-electric or full-combustion power, but also 'Dynamic hybrid' (where the engine and motor jointly power the wheels), 'E-drive' (where the motor drives the wheels while the engine charges the onboard battery), and finally, 'Energy recovery' (wherein the wheels drive the motor, which in turn charges the battery).
