Renault Clio VI

First encounter with the new Clio comes as a shock. For five generations, the Clio was a charming, friendly-looking city car that managed to seduce with French charm. By contrast, the sixth generation has an angry look, a cheeky grille and sharp lines. Instead of applying the same style to every model, Renault wants to give the various models a unique character with their own style.

With its confident looks, Renault wants to make it clear that the Clio VI is more than just a compact car. Even the previous Clio offered the qualities of a larger car in a small size, and this should underline its more serious appearance. In doing so, Renault wants to distinguish itself from its Chinese competition. The Chinese still do not know how to draw cars with an appealing character and by emphasising this, the French know how to keep the Chinese at bay.

Characteristic of the new Clio is the boldly large grille with slats shaped like Renault logos. The headlights have an upright upper edge that gives the impression of an eyelash. The rear lights protrude slightly. According to Renault, this does not detract from the streamline, but actually improves aerodynamics! The rear lights are made up of two separate elements, giving the car a sporty look. A nice detail: the corners of the logo are reflected in the shapes of the tail lights and even in the font used to write the word "Clio" on the tailgate. The red colour shown here is red, wine red or even pink depending on the light.

Space

On the inside, the Clio VI does follow the style of the other modern Renaults. However, the seating is distinctly low and the atmosphere is more sporty than in the Renault 4 and 5. Each version comes with a fabric-covered dashboard (something not found in the Renault 5) and the colour of that fabric goes from light to dark for an even more intimate effect. The standard seats are based on the sports seats of other models. The raised edges hug the occupants, so to speak. The whole thing creates a pleasant, inviting atmosphere.

Interior space is average for a car of this size. Four adults fit exactly, although headroom in the rear is not overwhelming. Note that the luggage compartment capacity depends on the chosen motorisation (battery under the load floor or not). The small and flat rear window makes for moderate rear-view mirror visibility.

Equipment

As with other modern Renaults, the infotainment system is based on Android Automotive. This provides outstanding navigation, a smart assistant and perfect integration with a Google account. However, those who do not have (or do not want) a Google account are severely limited in their options. Thereby, it is important to know that Renault is using an already outdated version of Android and only rolls out updates sparsely (only version 14 is planned for 2026). Therefore, there is a risk that this system will no longer (fully) function within a few years.

Renault implements all safety systems required by the European Union, but makes sure they are easy to disable. Renault goes slightly beyond the basic obligations and provides adaptive cruise-control, exit aid (warning while opening door when approaching object from behind) and an automatic braking function to prevent parking damage as standard. Very handy: the ambient lighting in the door panel lights up red when approaching danger from behind when opening the door.

Hybrid and petrol

The 5 is Renault's compact electric car. From now on, the Clio fulfils the role of the more conservative combustion-engine compact car. Like other manufacturers, Renault is no longer developing new combustion engines. However, it has adapted a new petrol engine for use in hybrid drive. The 1.8-litre engine uses a so-called Atkinson cycle, which makes an engine less lively but much more fuel efficient. Thanks to the assistance of an electric motor, this is not noticeable and allows even more economical driving. The combination of the two engines is good for 160 hp. Partly for this reason, the new Clio could replace the Megane (no longer available with combustion engines).

On paper, Renault's hybrid powertrain is more advanced, smarter and stronger than the competition's. The Clio should therefore be stronger, smoother and more economical. Unfortunately, practice shows otherwise. It is clearly noticeable when the automatic gearbox shifts. Thereby, reaction to the brake pedal is not always the same. This is because a hybrid will first try to brake on the electric motor to recover as much energy as possible. Only if that is not enough, the brake calipers are activated. In the test car, this interplay was not always harmonious, causing the car to come to a stop smoothly at times and abruptly at others. This is mainly the case in cold, wet weather. During a test drive in sunny weather, the hybrid powertrain functioned exemplarily.

Still, the Clio Hybrid is still superior to a similar car with only an internal combustion engine. The Clio always sets off electrically and performs with ease. A test drive on a demanding route in adverse weather conditions resulted in consumption of 4.7 litres per 100 km. Performance and consumption are therefore average for a hybrid in this segment.

Nearly all new Renauls have four (!) levers to the right of the steering wheel and even after many test drives of Renaults, this remains confusing. On the plus side, Renault has moved away from the automatically engaged parking brake. Henceforth, the automatic simply has a "park" again.

Driving characteristics

At Renault, it is customary for a platform to last two generations. The new Clio is therefore on the same platform (CMF-B) as the previous generation. However, the track width has been increased and the wheel arches accommodate larger wheels. Handling is therefore the Clio VI's strongest point. The Clio is overtly aimed at the general public and therefore its character is not very pronounced Nevertheless, the steering is light and precise. Handling is stable and refined.

Conclusion

The sixth generation of the Renault Clio has more competition than ever before. The Clio has competition from home (Renault 4 / Renault 5 / Renault Captur), competition from electric cars as well as competition from China. That is why Renault could not just develop another Clio, but changed the concept.

How strong the competition from electric cars and other Renaults is depends on the country. In Western Europe, electric driving is fully established. The powerful hybrid engine combines -mostly- the suppleness of electric driving with the endurance of a petrol engine.

Renault emphasises design because that is a weakness of its Chinese competition. Also, the Clio has grown considerably and even chugs against a higher segment. This includes rich and modern equipment. To emphasise that this is much more than an average city car, a tough and mature exterior has been chosen. This makes the Clio look less sweet, but precisely because of all the competition, Renault has put a lot more love into the design.