Next-gen supermini will be petrol-powered and priced to undercut the 4 and 5 EVs
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Renault is poised to bring back the Clio for a sixth generation, launching the reborn supermini alongside a new Captur crossover – as well as the electric 4 and 5 – as part of a renewed assault on the critical B-segment market in Europe.
The Clio was updated in 2023 with a new look, revised trim structure and improved technology, and Autocar understands that Renault is likely to heavily update the current, fifth-generation car again in around two years’ time.
Beyond that, plans are taking shape to introduce a completely new model in the second half of the decade that will take the Clio name into its fifth decade with a bold new look and highly advanced interior technology, but it will have a rigid focus on affordability – and still be powered by petrol.
Renault product performance boss Bruno Vanel outlined to Autocar the brand’s plan to renew its line-up of entry-level cars, now that it has fleshed out an expanded range of larger, C-segment models, comprising the Mégane, Scenic, Austral, Rafale and Espace.
Those models are important, he said, because of the huge popularity of such cars in Europe and the higher margins they can command, but “it doesn’t mean we’ll forget about the B-segment”.
He pointed to the upcoming 4 crossover and 5 supermini as evidence of Renault’s commitment to small cars but he was quick to suggest that neither is intended as a replacement for the brand’s 34-year-old hatchback.
“Clio is a brand in itself,” said Vanel. “In the UK, it is probably as well known as Renault – or even more.”
Renault’s recognition of the importance of the Clio name ties into its decision to also retain the Mégane, Scenic and Twingo monikers as it electrifies.
The Clio’s future had looked uncertain beyond the current generation, given the upcoming arrival of the similarly sized 4 and 5 EVs in 2024, and the electric Twingo is planned to roughly match the Clio for price when it comes in 2026.
But Vanel said keeping the small petrol hatchback – currently priced at just under £18,000 – is important because it provides customers with choice, while ensuring Renault does not abandon a large proportion of its customer base as it introduces a range of more costly EVs. The Mégane E-Tech hatchback, for example, is double that price.
