Renault Clio 2006 News

The Franken-freak monster Renault R.S. 16 concept car looks set for production, and certain to come to Australia.

The French brand is beginning with its latest Clio and the Captur crossover. It has already set the direction with show cars and is now translating them into production models, while also focussing on a new SUV direction and its Alpine sports brand.Kia has proven that design can provide significant showroom bait in the 21st century, winning with its Optima and new Rio range, and Renault's design chief Laurens van den Acker is focussed on bringing people back to the French carmaker."The goal is to make people fall in love again with the Renault brand," says van den Acker. "Renault is a very human brand, so we must let our cars be emotional, be French."He admits it's a tough challenge, but believes he has the design team and management backing to win. "If it was easy, everybody would do it. You should try hard things, because then you separate yourselves from the rest."Van den Acker arrived at Renault after 15 years in the USA and Japan, including time at Mazda, and has a smart way of describing the latest French lineup. "The Clio is like a university student, young and full of ideas," he says."The Megane is a student that has just started working, in the first three years. He is looking up and wants to become his boss. The Laguna is the managing director. The car needs to have status and seriousness."But van den Acker - who is known throughout the car world for his collection of crazy shoes - sees an opening for Renault. "While we are getting more Latin … and emotional … I see a lot of brands becoming more Germanic. I think we can find a more open space."We're closer in spirit to the old Ferraris of the 1960s." He says Renault is developing an iconic 'face', something all brands now want, as well as translating his design direction into SUVs."I think a good identity is an identity you can recognise without a badge. That's the sign of a good face." Van den Acker has visited Australia many times and knows Renault needs to leverage some of its upscale European appeal."Australia plays a lot more on the Renault Sport image. It gives us credibility. It gives us the link with Formula One, which is considered premium worldwide." He also knows that, in a showroom scene where Audi sets the cabin standard and even Holden is following with its VF upgrade, Renault is playing catch-up."I would still rate us as OK. We've become more fun in the interior, especially with Clio. But I think we still have a long way to go in perceived quality. It wasn't our first priority. We first had to get ourselves in the showrooms with a good looking car."For van den Acker, there is a surprising parallel between good design and romance, right up to the Alpine sports car currently being developed at Renault. "A concept car is like a one-night stand. Then you need to create a good marriage for a production car. The exterior needs to seduce and the interior is where you live. You want it to be a good quality life."What, then about Alpine?"It's a quickie," he laughs. The bottom line for Renault design is an all-new line, starting with a couple of show cars that will break cover later this year. "You will see some fun show cars from us this year. I look at concept cars to sell the direction. The design is going to make a difference."There is a sense of revolution at present. What I like, coming to Renault, is you can do anything you want. And find an intellectual reason to get away with it. I think anybody could use a bit of craziness. And god knows Renault can use it." 

And Renault is promising the same cutting-edge approach to Clio pricing to finally give it a serious light car contender. A full Renault Clio range presumably including the SportsTourer wagon recently spied testing in Europe will go on sale in Australia midway through next year, replacing the existing Renault Clio Sport, which was the only model of the third-generation car offered here.The new Renault Clio adopts the styling of the widely-praised DeZir concept car. As a result, it sits lower and wider on the road. The gap between the tyres and the flared wheel arches has also been reduced to improve its profile and the combined changes make it one of the best-looking light cars on the road.Renault is following the Mini and Audi A1 lead in having a huge range of exterior colour options for the Clio, which will come with LED daytime running lights and scalloped doors with chrome-highlighted lower inserts. The same customization will apply inside with options for the air vent surrounds, gear-shift base, door panels and dash.The interior picks up the seven-inch tablet-style display screen, set in an otherwise uncluttered dash. Renault Australia spokeswoman Emily Ambrosy says the company is working hard to ensure the touchscreen’s optional “R-Link” applications-based functionality comes on line soon.The R-Link launches in Europe with around 50 apps that be downloaded from within the car (using a connected Bluetooth smartphone) or loaded via PC. “We want R-Link. It’s the latest in-car technology and works off the steering wheel controls or with voice recognition, but we need to verify which apps will be available in Australia,” Ambrosy says. “We’re likely to launch with (the basic) MediaNav system, but expect to see R-Link sooner rather than later.”Renault Australia has yet to confirm which engines we’ll take, but the likely candidates are the three new engines announced for the car which will be officially unveiled at this week’s Paris Motor Show. The entry point is a 900cc triple-cylinder with 68kW/135Nm that uses a meagre 4.3L/100km, followed by a direct-injection turbo 1.2-litre four-cylinder that ups the power ante to 90kW/190Nm and will come with the option of a dual-clutch automated manual transmission.The headline act at least in terms of fuel use is a 1.5-litre turbo diesel that in European spec is said to use just 3.2L/100km while generating 68kW/220Nm. The hot-hatch RS version will follow late in 2013 and is expected to use a 150kW turbo 1.6-litre engine mated to a dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters. If existing Renault Sport models such as the Megane RS 265 are any example, expect it to be one of the best driving cars in the class. 

After being withdrawn from local showrooms in the late naughties when it got too costly against its competition, the French baby is set for a significant slot in the growing Renault range. The fourth-generation Clio is going public next month at the Paris motor show and is set for showrooms down under by the middle of next year, priced from the $16,000 range. It's role is to bring more people to Renault and build on recent sales successes that have produced a 30 per cent jump this year, including an all-time record in June. "We have an appetite for growth," the head of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide. "What's missing is what Renault has always done very well, and that's the smallest hatch." The company's sales reached 2350 cars by the end of July, up from 1808 at the same time a year earlier, and he believes everything from a better warranty coverage to low-cost finance - and even a television commercial shot in Sydney - has helped. "Every stone is being turned. We're improving the relevance to the local market," Hocevar says. "We're about 30 per cent up on last year. And last year was a good year for us, as we were up just shy of 90 per cent. "What are we doing to try and break through to be mainstream? Everything. At almost every level of the business there has been substantive change." The Renault Sport version of the Clio has maintained a skeleton presence in Australia over the past two years, although even it is now struggling as it enters its twilight. So the revival plan for 2013 is built around the mainstream five-door hatchback and a choice of petrol and diesel engines, a move intended to position the Clio against the better of the small-car babies, including the Polo and 2. "It's about trying to break through and become mainstream. We're improving the relevance to the local market," Hocevar says. Renault has already revealed the new look for Clio 4, which includes a hatchback shape that's more like a coupe. Full specifications and the model lineup will come at the Paris show, including a Carsguide preview drive, but Hocevar is not intending to go early on the details. "What's the price point? It's too early to announce, but it's fair to say we're akin a more aggressive approach to position it in the marketplace. "Natural competitors are the Mazda2 through to Polo. Price? Let's say high teens. "We'll tend to favour a relatively high level of specification. We've got a five-year warranty which some of the others don't, and our servicing is once a year." Hocevar knows the Clio has failed before but believes he knows the reason for a campaign that fizzled out with heavily-discounted sales to rental companies. "It took off reasonably well, and they did 1700 cars in the first full year. What didn't work in that vehicle's favour was currency. By about 2006 the dollar-to-Euro rate was completely different to what it is today." Hocevar confirms Clio 4 will hit around the middle of new year, with the Renault Sport model about six months later. And he says the born-again Clio 4 just the start of a longer-term product offensive. "Have we reached the point of crossing over into mainstream? No we haven't. That's a longer burn for us, and a case of careful management to achieve that goal," he says.  

The  all-new Clio coming from France will sit at the bottom of a revitalised range that's already delivering record results in showrooms. The new Clio reflects the latest design direction from Paris, as well as a renewed commitment to a light-class car where it will go head-to-head with everything from the Toyota Yaris and Mazda2 to the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia with a likely starting price below $20,000. The Clio was withdrawn from Australian showrooms back in 2007 after a period of dismal sales with a car which was under-done and over-priced for Australia, eventually failing to even win worthwhile support as a cut-priced rental car. "It's a no-brainer that we need the new Clio. It's definitely coming," says Emily Ambrosy of Renault Australia. "It's going to get people into the brand, and it's the latest design statement for Renault. We're going to have a full range of models up to the RenaultSport Clio. "At the moment we only have the RenaultSport version of the Clio. It's doing well, but it's getting close to the end of its life. She says the Clio will have a very different role under the new regime at Renault Australia. "A lot has changed. Renault Australia has changed, and we're on a trajectory of growth. We had our biggest month ever in June, which was 540 cars. And we see Clio as being fundamental to continuing that growth in the future."  The new Clio has just been revealed in France and will be seen publicly for the first time at the Paris motor show in September. It will be nearly a year before the first cars reach Australia, with the hotrod RenaultSport model unlikely until the final months of 2013. "It will be here around the middle of next year. The regular models will come first, and then the RenaultSport cars about six months later. That's the same staggered timing as Europe, with RenaultSport Clio coming later." The Clio has been part of the Renault bedrock since 1990, with more than 11.5 million sold in more than 115 countries, but the newcomer is more stylish than in the past. "New Clio is set to make a real mark. In addition to an unprecedented package of innovations, it's design marks a major shift from that of previous models," says Carlos Tavares, chief operating office of Renault. The design of the car is much edgier, and is the first work of new styling chief Laurens van den Acker - formerly of Audi, Ford and Mazda - to his the road. Renault describes the shape of the Clio as 'voluptuous curves' and promises a cabin that is 'safe, protective and refreshing'. The technology package - not confirmed yet for Australia - includes an 18-centimetre touch screen and access to what Renault claims as the world's first automotive App store for its R-Link system. There is even a potential choice of six engine noises that can be piped into the cabin through the sound system. Mechanically, the headliner is a three-cylinder 900cc turbocharged petrol engine with the promise of 99 grams/kilometre of CO2 emissions. Renault Australia is already committed to the baby engine and the full package of models and equipment, but pricing is a long way from settled. "We are going to have the full thing. We'll have entry-level cars, petrol and diesel, manual and automatic. We see it as being one of our biggest models," says Ambrosy. "We haven't got the pricing yet. But it's a heavily competitive segment and we need to be sharply priced."  

The new Clio will be offered only in five-door form and will be manufactured in France and Turkey - with the attractive European car expected to reach Australia in mid 2013. Inspired by the DeZir concept car, the styling features a more prominent Renault logo on the front along with LED daytime running lights and chrome detailed headlights. The door lines also seem influenced by the concept car with distinct curves and lower door inserts. The Clio will be offered with the largest range of personalisation options for the French car manufacturer. Door mirror housings, grill bars, rear skirts and even a choice of roof graphics can be specified. The new car will also ride lower and have a wider track compared to the current third generation Clio. A seven-inch internet-ready touchscreen tablet will be offered as an option. Known as Renault R-link this system will offer voice commands, applications to encourage more efficient driving, TomTom satellite navigation as well as a range of downloadable apps. Notably they’ll have an option of a simulated engine sound effect app which will be synchronised with the car’s speed and acceleration. Europe will get two petrol engine options. The TCe 90 engine is a three-cylinder turbo charged 0.9 litre with output of 67kW and 135Nm and fuel consumption of 4.3 litres per 100km. This will be offered alongside the TCe 120, which is a 1.2-litre turbo and boasts figures of 89kW/190Nm. The new diesel engine on offer is the dCi 90. The four-cylinder 1.5-litre returns fuel consumption figures of 3.2 litres per 100km and outputs 67kW and 220Nm of torque. The latter two engine options can be paired with a brand new dual clutch six-speed transmission and all engines will feature stop-start technology. Safety ratings are yet to be determined but expectations are high for the new car, given that the Clio III was the first B-segment car to achieve five-star EuroNCAP in 2005. The Renaultsport version is expected to be released later in 2013 and will feature a 1.6-litre turbo charged engine. Representing a departure from the their traditional 2-litre naturally aspirated engines, the new power plant is predicted to at least match the 147.5kW output of the current model. Previewed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last week, the new hero car in the Clio range will also be able to be paired with the six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Further details on the new range are expected in September at the Paris Motor Show.  

It is already set for local sales, continuing the emphasis on hot hatches with a RenaultSport twist."In Paris they will have the Clio 4 and that will be the first of the production cars with the new design cues," says Rudi Koenig, managing director of Renault Australia."We have the Clio Sport in the current generation and will have the same in the next generation. Whether we get the rest of the range depends on the price. At the moment the Clio is not price competitive."Koenig says the Clio will follow the new compact Megane as Renault looks to recover lost ground in showrooms."Our sales haven't been as strong as we would have expected. The timing hasn't worked for us," he says."Our new models are coming from the last quarter. We'll catch up and have a good year next year."

Yet despite the fuel crisis, you had to look hard.Of the many flashy reveals at the 2006 Australian Motor Show – with the exception of a painted, half-naked female flasher on the Peugeot 207 stand – the bling on display was largely, well, large.It's difficult to fathom given the recent surge in the light and small car segment, with sales up from last year by a mammoth 22 per cent, but large cars and SUVs were the big news from the likes of Holden and Ford, Mitsubishi, Land Rover, even the Japanese imports of Subaru and Mazda. Then a bloody Volvo drove into the spotlight.The C30 four-seat small car from Volvo was all the rage at the recent Paris Motor Show, though from the pictures it was a little hard to see what all the fuss was about.In the metal, however, the car is a superb execution of modern design, and is a fresh turn for both Volvo and for the small car sector.Powered by a beefy 162kW turbocharged five-cylinder that would usually push a much heavier load, the C30 promises rapid performance from its heart to its dual-tone alloys that match the aggressive styling.It is still quintessential Volvo, with overt rear haunches and that unmistakable Swedish nose, while borrowing from the past with a bit of retro fabrics and trims on the inside.Another emerging trend in the market was highlighted in the C30s interior – only four dedicated seats.Volvo claimed that the middle seat is barely ever utilised, as the cars in this segment typically carry one, maybe two passengers.It allows the C30 to be more flexible both in seating and real legroom, and with the rear seats folding virtually flat, and a high bumper and entry point for the split boot, making life easy for heavy shoppers (which should be the majority of this car’s clientele – though it seems the C30 is equally appealing to both sexes).The C30 will fight for its slice of the little car pie with the likes of the new Peugeot 207 and the Renault Clio – though the latter was conspicuously absent from the show.Peugeot will bring in the redesigned 207 with both turbodiesel and turbo petrol engines, and the twin-scroll turbo topping the range with an estimated early-thirties price tag should prove a popular flagship for Peugeot’s biggest little seller.A similar sub-$40K price tag is stickered to the new Colt Cabrio, which will steal sales from the Peugeot 207 CC as it takes its time to get to Oz later in 2007.In the nearer future, Holden will expand with a handy five-door version of its Astra SRi coupe, while Volkswagen have pared back the Golf GTI into a sexy three-door.Originally brought in to fill the remaining back-order of GTI variants that at one point had built up to a nine-month wait list in Oz, the appealing $38,490 price tag should see more sales for the already popular model.But while the market is flooded with buyers looking for the latest in small fuel misers, you had to strain to see them at the 2006Motor Show. The manufacturers would have you believe that bigger is better…

Industry figures released this week show the real boom in the market has been in four-cylinder cars valued at less than $25,000.Known as the light car segment, sales in the division are up 22.7 per cent for the year to date on last year, while the large car segment is down the same figure. Last month light cars were up by 31.4 per cent on August last year.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Peter Sturrock says this trend has increased over the past couple of years, with a recent acceleration put down to high petrol prices."Well, quite simply because they are more fuel efficient, small and less expensive to purchase in the first place and they're less expensive to run," Sturrock says.A total of 10,806 light cars were sold last month and 77,650 sold this year, which is 14,346 more than last year. Leading the line-up is the Toyota Yaris, with a starting price of $14,990, which recorded 2673 sales in August, taking the total to 18,064 for the year to date.Added to this figure are the remaining 304 Echos that Toyota has sold this year, before the nameplate was changed to be consistent with the Yaris badging used in Europe.Hyundai's small Getz, named Australia's Best Small Car for 2005 by Australia's auto clubs, has also achieved an increase in sales, with 1738 models sold last month, and 13,863 for the year, an 18.4 per cent improvement over the same period last year.Getz prices start at $13,990 and stretch to $18,380. The cheapest car on the market, the Holden Barina, starting at $13,490, has the third highest sales for the segment, with 1091 sales in August and 9567 for the year to date.The Barina is followed by the Suzuki Swift, Honda Jazz and Kia Rio, all recording between 5500 and 6800 sales each for the year-to-date and just under 100 sales in August.Sturrock says while fuel prices are contributing to a shift to these cars, good value at a low price is also converting buyers."The small cars now are very well equipped," he says. "Some years ago they were the basic models, but now they're well equipped with safety and anti-theft, occupant protection, airbags and ABS, and they often have Electronic Stability Control."Features in this segment on cars such as the Yaris and Getz include front airbags, an MP3 compatible CD system, airconditioning, power windows, central locking and ABS. Some even come with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and anti-skid technology.Holden's Barina offers airconditioning as standard, a feature that has to be bought as an option in the $34,990 base model VE Commodore Omega. The Hyundai Getz also offers a five-year/130,000km warranty.Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen, says this segment also offers a good alternative to second-hand cars."With the options that you can get on a brand new car, plus the new car warranty, it's quite appealing, especially to younger people," he says. And it seems a wide variety of buyers are purchasing these light cars, from students through to families and retirees.Hyundai spokesman Richard Power says its small cars, the Getz and Accent, are finding a market among a variety of drivers."We get quite a few young people buying it as their first new car and there's loyalty from senior motorists, who don't need a big car any more and are very attracted by the long warranty," he says. Overall, the car market has dropped by 3.4per cent on last year, with 642,383 vehicles sold, a decrease of 22,513 vehicles. August was also down from 2005 by 4516 vehicles.In the small car segment, sales are up 3 per cent year-to-date, with the Toyota Corolla the segment leader with 4147 sales in August and 31,705 Corollas sold this year. But small car sales also experienced a slight drop last month, down 1.3 per cent or 244 vehicles.Sturrock says that although the large car segment is down by 26,461 vehicles, it is still an important part of the market."It has reduced over time from what it was to where it is today," he says. "But it's still about 25 per cent of the passenger car market. You see very strong interest in the new Holden Commodore and the new Toyota Camry, there's been an excellent reaction."WHAT'S SELLINGToyota Yaris 18,368Hyundai Getz 13,863Holden Barina 9567Suzuki Swift 6703Honda Jazz 5936Kia Rio 5579Ford Fiesta 4407Mazda2 3934Hyundai Accent 3593Mitsubishi Colt 1516VW Polo 1337Peugoet 206 1071Citroen C3 486Proton Savvy 357smart fortwo 326Renault Clio 173Citroen C2 139smart forfour 132Fiat Punto 113Daihatsu Sirion 40Proton Satria 9Suzuki Ignis 1*Source: VFacts (light car sales 2006 to end August)Note: Yaris sales includes 304 Echo salesTHE CHEAPIESHolden Barina from $13,490Hyundai Getz from $13,990Proton Savvy from $13,990Toyota Yaris from $14,990Hyundai Accent from $15,990Mitsubishi Colt from $15,990Suzuki Swift from $15,990Ford Fiesta from $15,990Honda Jazz from $15,990Kia Rio from $15,990Mazda2 from $16,335Peugeot 206 from $16,990VW Polo from $16,990

The French car maker has developed a "Sleep Safe" head restraint based on the HANS Device used by racing car drivers.The device will be fitted to new Renaults and is expected to flow through to models sold in Australia as early as next year.Sleep Safe is installed on the centre rear head restraint. Its two sides flip down to hold the child's head and body upright should they fall asleep.It is designed for children aged six to 10 who are too big for enclosed child seats but not big enough for an adult head restraint to operate properly.A Renault safety engineer came up with the idea after watching drivers Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella from the World Championship-winning Renault Formula One team fitting their HANS Devices.The American-made neck supports are mandatory in V8 Supercar racing and Gold Coast driver Steve Ellery from the Triple 8 Racing team based in Brisbane swears by them."I've had two of the biggest accidents of anyone this year in Adelaide and at Oran Park in Sydney and I suffered relatively minor injuries," he said."Who knows how badly hurt I would have been without the HANS Device? I wore one last year and we didn't have a problem."The HANS Device provides additional support to the head and neck, reducing whiplash in a front or rear impact and cushioning the head in a side impact.Sleep Safe will be installed first in the Espace people-mover which is not imported to Australia, but will flow through to other models such as the European car of the ear, the Clio III, expected here in 2006.