Renault Clio

Renault Clio has been one of the highest-selling cars for the French automaker and competes in the supermini category. It was initially launched in 1990 and has so far registered sales of 11.5 million units in more than 115 countries. The fourth generation of the Clio was first seen in 2012 and could make its commercial debut in India in the future.

The new Renault Clio has been inspired by the DeZir Concept and features a large, prominent logo on the front end, which has been placed against a gloss black background, chrome-trimmed headlights and LED day-time running lights. Currently available only as a 5-door model, the Renault Clio measures 4,055mm in length, 1,720mm in width and, sports concealed rear door handles near the quarter window. This new model is lower than its predecessor, with wider tracks and wheels pushed out towards the exterior. At the same time, the smaller gap between the wheels and the wheel arches highlights the car’s strength and rugged stance.

Interior of the Renault Clio has premium appeal with solid materials and lots of comfort features. The dashboard has great quality all over with the fit and finish also being great. The cabin is quite practical and apart from the generous amounts of space it also offers several storage spaces. The seats are very well shaped and offer good comfort and support. The centre console comes with a neatly integrated infotainment system. The 7-inch infotainment system gets all sorts of connectivity options including USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity, voice command, GPS navigation etc. The car is also expected to feature R&Go smartphone application along with R-Link Evolution, Media Nav Evolution and satellite navigation on touchscreen display. The car would be equipped with an effective air conditioner that makes the journey very comfortable.

Like most Renault cars on sale in India, the Clio would also be high on features, expect its features list to include LED daytime running lights, reversing camera, R-Sound effect, keyless entry, front parking sensors, Plug & Music connectivity and Renault Bass Reflex System.It may also get an advanced eco-driving function which analyses the behavior of the driver and provides advice to help reduce fuel consumption.

The petrol variant of Renault Clio is powered by 1.2 litre 3 cylinder tubo-charged TCe engine with start-stop technology that discharges peak power of 90 bhp @ 5000 rpm and a peak torque of 135 Nm @ 2000 rpm and mated to this engine is six speed manual transmission gears. The diesel variant of Clio comes fitted with 1.5 litre dCi engine that produces peak power of 90 bhp @ 4000 rpm and peak torque of 220 Nm as low as 1750 rpm. The engines also get automatic start/stop system to improve fuel efficiency in city traffic conditions.

It would be too early to comment on the fuel efficiency of the Clio, expect the diesel variant to deliver around 25-26 kmpl and petrol variant around 18-19 kmpl.

Braking performance would be brisk and make you feel confident with the ideal pedal bite.The car comes with all standard safety features such as ABS with EBD, dual airbags, brake assist, ESC, ASR traction control and Cruise control. The car has god the first ever 5star crash testing rating from EuroNCAP for the B segment.

Performance from the engine is good with plenty of pulling power from very low in the rev band.The handling is also without doubt good and the car chucks around corners with confidence. The car is great to drive in low gear in the city and also good for cruising on the highway. Acceleration is impressive with linear power.It comes with electric power steering which feels very light at low speeds and weighs up nicely with speed.The overall ride quality is excellent and the car absorbs almost everything in its stride, save for sharper bumps.

The Renault Clio will take on the likes of Hyundai Elite i20, VW Polo, Ford Figo and Maruti Suzuki Baleno.

If and when launched in India, the Renault Clio will compete with the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Honda Jazz, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Punto, etc.

*Disclaimer: The date of launch is tentative and purely based on the information received from OEMs. Autoportal will not be responsible for any discrepancy and delay with the launch dates.