RENAULT Clio Estate 2009-2012 Photos, engines & full specs

While most of the carmakers dropped the station-wagon versions for their small-sized vehicles, Renault counted on the Clio Estate to get good sales numbers, and they were right.

Usually, in the small-segment, most customers are looking for fuel-efficient, short, and easy-to-park vehicles. They don't really care about the trunk size or the split-folding seats. But the French carmaker identified a group of buyers among its clients that were still carving for a station-wagon based on a small vehicle. And it built it.

The new model showed a similar front fascia with its bigger brother, the Megane, from the outside. Its swept-back, curved headlights followed the lower grille line and continued it on the hood. It was a nice flowing exercise that made the car very appealing for specific customers. Its extended roofline and the three side windows might confuse some people if it was a shorter compact or a longer small vehicle. The curved tailgate was flanked on the sides by corner-mounted taillights, and the low-cut for in the bumper allowed users to quickly load and unload items.

Inside, the design team installed a curved dashboard covered with soft materials and silver plastic trims. The instrument cluster was carried over from the hatchback version and featured an LCD between the speedometer and tachometer. In the back, the carmaker installed a 60/40 split-folding bench, which allowed the trunk to be expanded from 439 liters (15.5 cu-ft) to 1277 liters (45 cu-ft).

Under the hood, Renault offered a choice of four engines, both gasoline and turbo-diesel, with up to eight power outputs, depending on the market.