Already confirmed to be shorter than its predecessor but offering more space thanks to moving to alliance partner Nissan’s CMF-B platform that also underpins the Micra, the Clio’s biggest technical change is underneath the bonnet where Renault has phased out all of the previous petrol engines, and introduced a new hybrid option dubbed E-Tech.
While no specification details of the new powerunit was revealed, Renault has confirmed that it will pair an all-new 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 1.2kWh electric motor, which will start in electric mode and spend around 80% of its time not making use of the internal combustion engine at all.
Carried over from the previous Clio but upgraded to meet the more stringent WLTP emissions requirements, the 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel motor gains the Blue dCi moniker and will be offered in two states of tune; 63kW/220Nm and 85kW/260Nm, while the assortment of petrol engines starts off with a normally aspirated 1.0-litre triple making 48kW and 55kW, the all-new 1.0-litre turbo lifted from the Micra that produces 74kW/160Nm and the 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder co-developed with Daimler that punches out 96kW/240Nm.
On the transmission front, the naturally breathing petrols and diesel will be equipped as standard with a five-speed manual gearbox, which, despite also being the sole option for the turbocharged triple, will have the option of a new Xtronic CVT. Like the Mercedes-Benz A-class, the forced-induced four-pot will only be offered with a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box.
As previously indicated, sales of the new Clio in Europe will start later this month, although local introduction is only expected to take place towards the end of this year or in early 2020.
