2019 Renault Clio: great things come in small packages
Renault unveiled the fifth generation of the Renault Clio supermini - despite the outgoing version still selling well, being the third most popular car in Europe in January 2019.
It is the first car to be based on a new platform that will be shared by Renault's partners Nissan and Mitsubishi. It is 14mm shorter than the previous Clio yet Renault claims much greater passenger space.
The all-new version is said to more modern and athletic, combining "evolutionary exterior styling with revolutionary interior design", meaning sculpted lines and a more assertive front.
The interior is characterised by improvements in perceived quality, featuring a soft coating on the dashboard, door panels and centre console surround, and technology. A so-called ‘Smart Cockpit’ includes vertical, 9.3-inch vertical multimedia screen and a 10-inch TFT digital instrument binnacle replacing the model's traditional analogue display.
Other areas to which Renault paid particular attention are the steering wheel and the seats, with new designs and higher quality materials.
Renault claims that the 391-litre boot is the largest in the segment. The luggage area has a double floor, while the rear seats fold down to provide a totally flat load space.
Laurens van den Acker, senior vice-president of Corporate Design at Renault, said: "The fifth-generation Clio features the very best of the previous generations, from Group 1 Renault. The exterior design of Clio IV won over our customers and continues to do so today, so we chose to keep that DNA while bringing modernity and elegance to the new model.
"The interior has undergone a true revolution, with a considerable improvement in perceived quality, greater sophistication and technology. It is the best Clio ever."
As part of Groupe Renault’s strategic plan, Drive the Future (2017-2022), the Renault Clio for sale will be the first Renault to include an E-Tech hybrid drivetrain. By the end of the plan in 2022, the group aims to sell 15 models equipped with autonomous driving technology. The new Clio's driver assistance systems are intended as the basis for making a driverless city car widely available.
Article source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/renault-clio-great-things-come-small-packages-fifth-generation/
