Renault Clio grows into the super mini for everyone

In what used to be a fiercely fought segment of talented ‘supermini’ hatchbacks, the Renault Clio has always held its own thanks to a compelling mix of interior space, big-car features, exterior style and, probably most importantly of all, its compelling value-for-money quotient. It has always been a strong seller, not just in its class, but for the French brand, too. Hence the introduction of a new one is a big deal.

And yet, this new sixth generation of the Clio was never intended for the Irish market. You can blame the UK for that, as, early in the car’s development, Renault’s strategy indicated that our nearest right-hand-drive neighbours might ban cars with engines sooner than others, rendering the investment needed to produce a Clio with its steering wheel on the right a potentially huge waste of money.

However, the UK’s political landscape changed in the interim and Renault had to make a sharp U-turn. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of car design, development and manufacturing, this added a significant delay to the new Clio’s introduction in right-hand-drive markets such as Ireland.

This is a very long way of saying that, if you like the look of this new Clio, hold that thought, as it won’t arrive on Irish shores until deep into 2027.

Exterior design and image

You certainly will have an opinion on the exterior design of the Clio, as it’s no shrinking violet. It isn’t conventionally pretty, but it certainly is striking, and we’re all for that. The front end has a pinched nose with the Renault diamond motif used copiously throughout, all focused on the relatively small radiator grille in the middle. That’s flanked by high-tech looking LED lights that appear to be bursting from the curved bodywork.

The same approach is used for the rear lights, made up of two individual units on each side of the shapely tailgate. We urge buyers to go for one of the more arresting paint colours in the palette, as they really help the daring design pop. Regardless of the hue it’s finished in, though, the new Clio undoubtedly has more presence than most cars at this price point.

Interior and practicality

Renault gave its interior designers plenty of latitude too, as they’ve managed to fit all the expected infotainment and technology into a cabin that looks interesting, while feeling high quality and working sensibly. For example, there are two 10-inch screens dominating the dashboard – one for instrumentation and a touchscreen in the middle angled towards the driver. However, while the latter allows full access to a heating and cooling menu (among much, much more), there’s still a bank of physical buttons under the central air vents to allow for quicker adjustment of the temperature, etc.

Meanwhile, the trim on the doors, seats and dashboard varies by specification grade, but all are textured and tactile to the touch, while looking stylish too. The centre console is low to enhance the feeling of spaciousness in the front, and it has plenty of covered storage room as well, aided by the use of a steering-column-mounted drive selector in place of a traditional gear lever.

One of the few negatives is that the area behind the steering wheel is a bit crowded with all the stalks. However, an owner will no doubt soon get used to the layout.

They’ll be as keen to know how practical the rest of the car is. The rear seats are fine, certainly near the top of the segment in terms of spaciousness and features, while the boot holds more than many cars in the class above in standard format – at 391 litres. Note that figure reduces to 309 litres if you opt for the hybrid Clio featured here.

Driving experience

Under the bonnet of the Clio is Renault’s newest hybrid system, based around a 1.8-litre petrol engine. Despite its relatively large capacity, the setup makes for a powertrain that is both powerful – with up to 160hp on tap – and efficient, as evidenced by an incredibly low emissions rating. Indeed, if it takes your fancy, this hybrid Clio feels a little like a junior hot hatch on the road thanks to great body control and effortless performance. The latter is thanks in no small part to the instant-torque characteristic of the electric motor and, while the Clio has the capability to paint a smile on the face of an enthusiastic driver, it also plays the role of everyday commuter with consummate ease – ie, it doesn’t sacrifice comfort on the altar of enjoyable driving dynamics. It’s a great all-rounder, in effect. As we’ve become used to on modern cars, there are several driving modes to choose from, based on your mood or preference, but the Clio is the first Renault to also get a ‘smart’ mode, which analyses your driving and adjusts the car’s settings to suit. This works well, enhancing responsiveness when you ask for more performance, yet switching back into a more economical setup by default, to the benefit of economy.

Worth waiting for?

As it’ll be a while before the new Clio arrives, you’ll find examples of the outgoing car still on sale – and indeed, at the time of writing, the Clio shown on the official Renault Ireland website is the old model. Hence, unsurprisingly, the pricing of the new car has yet to be confirmed. We do know that there will be three trim levels, including the sporty looking Esprit Alpine grade, and the option of an entry-level petrol engine to back up the new 1.8-litre hybrid reviewed here. Despite this car’s low emissions, it will be the most expensive model, and it’s estimated that the Clio will start at around the €27,000 mark when it arrives next year.

The supermini segment is not as well-stocked as it once was, reflecting buyer demand, but Renault has seemingly reinvented its offering to cover more bases. While staying true to its core recipe, the new Clio is more desirable than before and hence manages to straddle both the automotive and societal class divides.