Renault Clio

Renault Clio at a glance

The first Clio was revealed at the Paris motor show in June 1990 and soon became very popular across Europe. The second generation was launched in April 1998 and went through several updates, notably in 2001 and 2004. The third generation was unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in 2005 and won European Car of the Year for 2006; an estate followed in 2007, and a facelift in 2009 noticeably improved its looks. The fourth generation appeared at the Paris motor show in autumn 2012, gained an estate in 2013 and received a light update in 2016 that refreshed the styling and the engine range.

The fifth generation was revealed in stages: Renault showed the interior on 28 January 2019 and the exterior, with some technical details, online the next day, before the full public debut at the Geneva motor show in March 2019. It brought stylish design, a more grown-up cabin, modern technology and a wide choice of petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains. This article focuses on the Clio V. More models are in our Renault catalogue; for a sporty relative, see the Renault Megane R.S.

Generations

Clio V exterior

At first glance the fifth Clio looks like an evolution rather than a revolution. Some design elements are new, though many come from other Renault models, so the brand's fans will not be surprised. Even so, the hatchback looks smart and more expensive than it is.

The front end is compact, steeply raked and sporty, which helps both visibility and aerodynamics. The bonnet has subtle sculpting, the headlights have a distinctive shape, and the C-shaped LED daytime running lights that drop down below them catch the eye. The grille keeps the familiar Renault shape, with a thin chrome strip at the top and the badge in the centre. Much of the aggression is in the bumper: a large lower grille feeds air to the engine, and two side openings help cool the brakes and hold the fog lights on better-equipped versions.

The sides are heavily sculpted, almost like a hot hatch, with chrome highlighting around the windows. The larger door mirrors include indicator repeaters and are always finished in gloss black. A chrome strip runs along the lower doors. Base versions have 16-inch alloy wheels; the sporty R.S. Line has a more aggressive body kit and 17-inch wheels of its own design, while the upmarket Initiale Paris adds extra chrome. Ground clearance is only 135 mm, which is fine for town driving but not much more.

The rear matches the sporty theme. The upper half is narrower than the lower, starting with a spoiler that continues the roofline and carries the brake light, above a polygonal rear window and slim, angled tail lights. The tailgate and bumper are sculpted, and there is a diffuser-style insert and a single compact exhaust tip.

Interior and practicality

Renault calls the new cabin layout the Smart Cockpit. The materials are similar in type but look more expensive, and the seats were redesigned with better lateral support for the class, upholstered in a mix of leather and microfibre. The headrest design divides opinion. The R.S. Line has sports seats with extra side support, a steering wheel with perforated grips and an R.S. badge, carbon-look trim, aluminium pedal covers and red stitching on the seats, armrests and gear lever.

A new three-spoke multifunction steering wheel with chrome inserts replaces the old one, and the instruments are now digital, on a 7-inch or 10-inch screen depending on the version; the larger one can show navigation. The centre console carries a vertical 7-inch or 9.3-inch Easy Link touchscreen, a redesigned climate panel with three rotary controls that have built-in displays, two USB ports, an AUX socket and the gear lever. A Bose premium audio system is available, as is LED ambient lighting with eight colours. Renault kept its personalisation theme: the dashboard, door panels and seat upholstery can be ordered in eight colour options.

Space is adequate in both rows, and the rear bench is comfortably shaped. The boot grew by about 90 litres compared with its predecessor, to around 390 litres, and with the 60/40 split rear seat folded it holds 1,069 litres. A space-saver spare and tools sit under the floor.

Engines and transmissions (Clio V)

The entry-level SCe engines are naturally aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinders with 12 valves and variable valve timing, using about 5.6 l/100 km in town according to published figures. The TCe turbo petrol engines have electrically actuated wastegates, plasma-coated cylinder bores, direct injection, exhaust manifolds integrated into the head and optimised cooling. With them, combined consumption is around 6.7 l/100 km and 0–100 km/h takes about 9 seconds. The 1.3 TCe is also used by Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and in the Renault Kadjar.

The 1.5 Blue dCi diesels have a turbocharger, common-rail injection and eight valves, and are the most economical at about 4.3 l/100 km. From 2020 Renault added the E-Tech full hybrid, which combines a new 1.6-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a 1.2 kWh battery under the boot floor. Power reaches the front wheels through a clutchless multi-mode gearbox. The battery is charged only while driving, so the car cannot cover long distances on electricity alone; the aim is to reduce fuel consumption.

All Clios are front-wheel drive. The five-speed manual is reserved for the three-cylinder engines, the diesels use a six-speed manual, and the four-cylinder 1.3 TCe has a seven-speed EDC dual-clutch transmission.

Chassis

The Clio V was the first Renault on the CMF-B platform, later shared with the second-generation Captur and the Nissan Juke. It has a transversely mounted engine and a monocoque body with a high proportion of high-strength steel. The front suspension uses MacPherson struts and the rear a semi-independent twist beam, with passive dampers and anti-roll bars. Steering is rack-and-pinion with electric assistance. Brakes are ventilated discs at the front and drums at the rear, but versions with more than 74 kW (100 PS) get rear discs.

Safety and equipment

The CMF-B structure made the body stronger in a crash. Safety equipment includes front and side airbags, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, a speed limiter, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition and LED daytime running lights. Depending on the market, base versions include front and side airbags, ABS, EBD and ESC, LED running lights, air conditioning, a 7-inch infotainment system, 16-inch alloy wheels, electric windows all round and heated front seats.

Strengths and weaknesses

Owners of earlier Clios praise its low running costs, neat styling and suitability for the city thanks to its compact size, as well as its economy and a boot that is generous for the class; the suspension and equipment also get good marks. Complaints include limited rear visibility, the behaviour of the automatic gearboxes, low ground clearance, modest performance and some hard plastics. The Clio V answers several of these with a fresher cabin, digital instruments and a larger boot, but it keeps low ground clearance and rear drum brakes on base versions. Rivals include the Volkswagen Polo, Peugeot 208, Opel Corsa, Toyota Yaris, SEAT Ibiza, Skoda Fabia and, until 2023, the Ford Fiesta.