Renault Clio Undergoes Facelift, Sports New Bold Front End and Esprit Alpine Trim

Launched back in 1990, the Renault Clio has been produced for five generations in more than 16 million examples and is Renault's best-selling model globally and one of the essential small models on the market.

Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 2019, the fifth-generation Renault Clio has undergone a comprehensive facelift. It now sports a redesigned and pretty bold front end with new headlights and LED daytime running lights that follow the shape of a half upright rhombus logo. The new LED headlights are standard on all trim levels and flank a radiator grille with a checkboard pattern.

At the opposite end, the taillights now have clear glass and a signature light in the shape of the letter C. Customers can choose one of the seven colors available in the lineup and one of the six wheel design types, with sizes of up to 17 inches. Light alloys are included.

Like the Austral SUV and Espace MPV, the new Clio can also be ordered with the Esprit Alpine sports equipment, which replaces the RS Line. The Esprit Alpine trim brings 17-inch alloy wheels with a blue or grey center area, depending on the color of the car. The Renault logo is finished in Ice Black brushed aluminum, while the matt shale grey finned blade under the radiator grille highlights the car's sporty nature.

The sports seats with the Esprit Alpine logo on the backrests are made from recyclable materials. The steering wheel features red and blue contrasting stitching, the dashboard has the French flag embroidered in the passenger area, the front and rear seat belts have distinctive blue edges, the pedals are made from aluminum, and the sills are exclusive for this trim.

The Clio facelift does away with the analog instrument cluster, and a 7-inch display is offered from the entry-level version. A larger 10-inch display with different graphics depending on the driving mode chosen, which can also display the map from the navigation systems, is standard or optional, depending on the version.

The Renault Easy Link multimedia system comes standard with a 7-inch display and with a 9.3-inch display and navigation (standard on Esprit Alpine) when the customer is willing to pay extra. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay can be connected wirelessly with both versions of the multimedia system.

Built on the same CMF-B platform, the Renault Clio has the most comprehensive range of engines in the segment: diesel, petrol, hybrid, and LPG versions are available. The base version is still the SCe 65, powered by the 65 ps (64 hp) naturally aspirated engine (with a 5-speed manual gearbox). Higher up the range, there is the TCe90 with the 1.0-liter 90-ps (89-hp) turbo engine (6-speed manual gearbox).

For those who need a longer range, the TCe100 LPG version with 100 ps (98.5 hp) and 170 Nm (125 lb-ft) has 8% lower CO2 emissions than a petrol engine and can drive as far as 1,100 km (685 miles) before it needs refueling. 

Although other manufacturers have ditched the diesel in the B-segment, Renault still offers the dCi100 version, with the popular 1.5-liter turbodiesel engine with 100 ps (99 hp) and 260 Nm (192 lb-ft), mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

The top-of-the-range version is the E-Tech full hybrid with 145 ps (143 hp). A 94 ps (92.6 hp) 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine teams up with a 36 kW electric motor and an 18 kW starter generator. The energy recovered during braking and when the ICE operates as a generator is stored in a 1.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Renault claims that the Clio E-Tech drives with zero emissions for 80% of the time when driving in town, thus reducing fuel consumption by up to 40% compared to that of a conventional petrol version.

No word on the pricing just yet, but we do know that the Renault Clio facelift will be available for order in the coming weeks. Deliveries will start this summer.