Renault Clio News

...another upcoming addition to the fourth-generation Clio lineup. It won't be as hot as the Clio RenaultSport, but the GT is expected with a 1.2-litre turbo engine and perhaps a Gordini badge.

"We've very interested," says Emily Ambrosy of the car, which was caught during European testing and is expected to be called the Sports Tourer in showrooms. 

When Renault first introduced the Clio Williams nearly 20 years ago in 1993 (to celebrate Nigel Mansell’s F1 championship triumph in a Williams-Renault) the little hot hatchback swiftly became a halo hero.It was also a sales hero, with Renault producing the original limited edition of 3800 three times over. And we may see the rebirth of the Williams Clio, according to a report on Autocar – with the Williams F1 team having last year signed an engine supply contract with Renault.Autocar cites "well placed sources" confirming that a Clio Williams is coming, based on the latest Clio RenaultSport 200 revealed at the recent Paris motor show, but powered by a tuned version of its turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine (replacing the 2.0-litre in the outgoing car) to squeeze out an extra 10 per cent of power, raising it from 147.5kW to 165kW.The report says it will be around 18 months before overseas markets see the new Clio Williams – and likely longer for us if Australia is on the cards to get it. 

Design head Laurens van den Acker says his job involves giving the company a cohesive visual style across the 26 models it sells around the globe. “Clio is more than the launch of a car, it’s the launch of a brand,” he notes. “The reality is the last couple of years the Renault image has degraded, so I think creating a stronger face will help us to fight back. “I want everything that comes out of our studio to be recognised as a Renault. “The Clio is definitely younger and the headlights are a little bit bigger - like a younger member of the family - but the more higher up (the range) we go, the more serious they will get.” He says the hot-hatch Clio RS model is visually more muted than the model it replaces. “I have a feeling we might attract more customers because of that,” he says. “I would be more interested in a Clio RS with four doors and more performance than a car that makes me look like I have a mid-life crisis.” The same logic applies to moving away from the traditional RenaultSport approach of fitting its cars with naturally aspirated engines and manual gearboxes. The new Clio will have a turbo 1.6-litre engine mated to a dual-clutch automatic and van den Acker points out an auto will give the car broader appeal. “The RenaultSport guys have assured me the performance of the Clio 4 will be much better than Clio 3 and that in the end is the most important thing.” Van den Acker adds that Renault is also planning a range of crossovers and is looking at pickups, based on platforms from its partner, Nissan. “We are in the midst of creating a full line-up of crossovers. Unfortunately we are many years too late, so the only hope I have is we come in late but we learn from all the others’ mistakes and come up with a very strong line-up,” he says. “The B-sgement SUV will be based on the Modus platform (a compact people-mover Renault sells in Europe), but on the other versions of the line-up we will work closely with Nissan. We’re forced to look for more synergies, it’s economy of scale that demands us to find ways to produce more derivatives.”  

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. 

...the first designed by former Mazda ace Laurens Van den Acker. Dig the “sweetly coke-bottled side profile”. Carparazzi says the inside story is one of elegance and quality. Some things are better done yourself.

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.  

The Clio is more adventurous in design but likely to be more affordable, opening the way for serious sales against Volkswagen here without resorting to dollar deals with rental companies.