Renault Clio Review (2020)

Read Caroline’s Renault Clio review for everything you need to know about Renault’s popular small hatchback in Ireland.

A new Renault Clio has just reached Ireland in time for 2020 new car sales! The fifth generation of the iconic small French hatchback has matured just like a fine Bordeaux that gets better with age. Priced from €17,195, the headline features for new Clio are refreshed looks, a new cabin, new petrol engine, new technology and a new trim line.

In the 30 years since the iconic supermini first went on sale, the Renault Clio has sold 55,000 models in Ireland with the previous generation Clio being the most successful – 12,000 units sold to date.

What’s new for the Renault Clio?

The Clio has a new look but it’s a gentle evolution of a very successful design. The previous generation Clio that debuted in 2012 was a dramatic departure of what had come before. It was top designer Laurens van den Acker’s first masterpiece for Renault and was the start of a cascade of stylish new Renaults with clearly defined road presence depicted in sensuous curves and distinct light signature.

The 2020 Renault Clio matures with some stretching and refining of surfaces. The bonnet features sculpted ribs, while the grille is now bigger and the front bumper more pronounced.

The side profile is one of the best in the segment – sleek and stylish – with hidden window-mounted rear door handles giving the sporty look of a three-door model. Full LED headlamps are flanked by Renault’s C-Shaped daytime running light signature. The colour palette features the eye-catching Valencia Orange – specially treated for a radiant shine – and the classic ‘looks good everywhere in every weather’ Iron Blue.

Inside the new Clio

However it’s inside where we see some really welcome changes. There’s a new interior design that has matured but is still textured enough to not be boring. Material quality has improved and the new driver instrument panel looks much better, along with a new infotainment system with either 7-inch or 9.3-inch touchscreen. You’ll still probably skip Renault’s interface and head straight to Apple Car Play or Android Auto connectivity for ease of use.

Renault Ireland is offering new Clio in four trim lines: Expression, Dynamique, Iconic and a new sporty-looking R.S. Line. Full LED lights come as standard as do air con and cruise control with speed limiter, ADAS safety systems, electric windows and mirrors. Dynamique features the 7″ touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while Iconic’s EasyLink with built-in navigation includes intuitive Google address search. The R.S. Line has full exterior R.S. look, with 17” alloy wheels, special interior trim and the 9.3” EasyLink screen as standard.

My test car was a Clio 1.0 litre 100 hp in Iconic trim line with good specification and priced from €20,395.

Is it practical?

There’s also now more space than ever in the new Clio, despite being 12 mm shorter and 8 mm lower than its predecessor. The new front seat design gives more comfort and support but the design also frees up more legroom in the rear. Elsewhere, boot capacity has increased to 391 litres, and there’s a further 26 litres of storage dotted around the cabin.

There’s currently a line-up of small efficient petrol and diesel engines, though a 1.6-litre ‘E-TECH’ petrol-electric hybrid is on the way later in 2020. There’s an entry level three-cylinder naturally aspirated SCe 75 with 72 hp, but the pick of the range is the new 1.0-litre turbo petrol unit with 100 hp (‘TCe 100’).

I absolutely adored this engine. It feels nippy and refined and is truly efficient. Over a week of driving my average fuel consumption was just 5.0l/100km! This engine is available on Dynamique trim and above from €19,095. It’s fitted as standard with a five-speed manual gearbox, but the engine is also available with a seven-speed CVT gearbox.

There’s also a ‘TCe 130’ turbo petrol engine with more power again and available exclusively with the seven-speed EDC dual-clutch transmission.

The ‘Blue dCi 85’ diesel is a 1.5-litre unit and has a six-speed manual gearbox. Official WLTP fuel economy figure for this model is just 4.2 l/100 km.

Driving the latest Clio

The latest Renault Clio sits on a new Renault CMF-B platform, which delivers improvements in space, safety, technology and weight saving. This car is light and athletic on the road. Refinement is also excellent. Clio is as comfortable on motorway runs as it is in town or country road driving. The TCe 100 positively hums and is very efficient.

You quickly blend into the groove with the new Clio. There’s good value to be had in the Clio range and it’s a great all rounder. The cabin might not be the last word in luxury. But it’s a much improved interior that’s fun and cheerful to spend time in. The new 1.2-litre petrol engine is highly desirable. It makes the car more versatile.

This is a really great small car!

Caroline Kidd

Model tested: Renault Clio TCe 100 Iconic
Price: €20,395
Engine: 1.0-litre turbo petrol
Power: 100 hp
Torque: 160 Nm
0-100km/h:  11.8 seconds
Top speed: 187 km/h
Economy: 5.2/100km
CO2 emissions:  118g/km
Motor tax: €180 per year