The Renault Clio is back and all grown up
When it debuted 30 years ago Renault Clio was marketed with a cheeky, slightly risqué charm – now its back for its fifth generation, all grown up
The Renault Clio is 30 years old. As one of the better-known small car brand names in Europe, the Clio has evolved with the times, from ultra-light weight supermini through to the chunky, solidly engineered small family car it is today. When it debuted, the Clio was marketed with a cheeky, slightly risqué, Gallic charm, although this gradually wore off during the car’s long adolescence. Now it’s back for its fifth generation, all grown up. The new design was unveiled at the start of 2019 and has now been rolled out around the world’s markets.
The Clio is a major player, the third best-selling car in Europe, holding back the horde of SUVs together with VW’s Golf and Polo. Right now, however, traditional car makers are arriving at a fork in the road - should they venture into electrification with an entirely new model or is it better to transform a decades-old brand name into an EV? The most common strategy is to hedge one’s bets. Without the clean slate approach open to Tesla and its ilk, existing manufacturers have to deal with long model cycles, entrenched brand equity and cautious customers. BMW invested big with its ‘i' sub-brand, only to appear to pull back from the commitment and choosing the path of electrifying existing models. As a reuslt, it’s taken eight whole years to advance from the i3 to the forthcoming BMW i4.
Renault also runs a mix and match strategy, blending hybrid models, pure EVs (the acclaimed ZOE, the eclectic two-seater TWIZY and a pair of commercial EVs for business use) with conventionally powered cars, including a number of diesels. For now, the Clio is in the latter category, a classic example of the motor industry’s slow but steady technological evolution. Compare the new car to the original Clio that proved so desirable three decades ago, and it practically resembles a luxury vehicle, with a level of fixtures and fittings that were simply unavailable in the spartan, plastic-clad 1990s.
But everything is bigger these days. Clio Mark Five has grown in size as well as ambition. It has a big badge, usually a sign of mild brand insecurity given the need to stand out in new, unfamiliar markets (something that is prevalent right across the industry at the moment). And the image of the Clio as a cheeky, compact upstart has all but evaporated, even though this new car is still good fun to drive and own. It handles deftly and is still well within the realms of compact, and the on-board equipment works without feeling fussy or intrusive.
The next-gen Clio will almost certainly have an electric option as Renault applies its EV experience to more and more models. The company is also rolling out a new style ‘Renault City’ concept store in Europe, hoping to create an Apple Store-style physical connection with its buying public. Recent concepts have highlighted a proposed shift to autonomous driving, focusing on a strong connection between mobility and architecture. In amongst all this massive change, the Clio feels a bit like a blast from the past, a traditional car in a rapidly evolving industry. Renault would be crazy not to let the Clio name live on and evolve for a more electrified world. It’s a personable car with a hard-won allure, something that is increasingly hard to create from scratch.
INFORMATION
Renault Clio (R.S.Line TCe 130 EDC tested), £21,655. renault.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Derek Jarman's House: Inside Prospect Cottage
A new book shines a spotlight inside Derek Jarman's Dungeness 'escape house'
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Warren Street Hotel is a colourful marvel in downtown Tribeca
The Warren Street Hotel boasts a distinct blue façade by Stonehill Taylor and eclectic interiors by Kit Kemp Design Studio
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Herbar’s barrier cream repairs skin damage using medicinal mushrooms
Herbar has launched The Barrier Cream, which harnesses the healing power of mushrooms and adaptogens to repair, soothe and protect the skin barrier
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Mighty Kia EV9 is the brand’s biggest electric vehicle. How does it scale up to its rivals?
We take the Kia EV9 – now in showrooms, in a wide range of versions – for a spin to see how the revitalised company handles the design of a big SUV
By Guy Bird Published
-
Toyota bz4X SUV is the marque’s first pure electric vehicle
The Toyota bz4X is our first chance to explore how the long-standing masters of mass automobile production make an EV
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Rivian R2 and R3 downsize a format to increase the EV company’s standings
The Californian manufacturer has revealed the new Rivian R2 and R3, all-electric SUVs that combine practicality with functional elegance
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The return of the Geneva Motor Show (to Geneva) as a place for global debuts
The Geneva Motor Show is back. After 2020’s pandemic cancellation and an ‘exported’ event in Qatar in 2023, the organisers of GIMS 2024 had their work cut out to stay relevant. Here are our highlights
By Guy Bird Published
-
Microcar madness: three new ultra-compact electric city cars
These two-seater electric microcars are the ultimate errand machines, designed for short hops and small spaces, all with a minimal footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Year in review: top 10 transport design stories of 2023, selected by Wallpaper’s Jonathan Bell
Jonathan Bell’s top 10 transport design stories of 2023 span from electric campers and microcars to flying yachts and classic car recreations
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Year in review: the top 10 cars of 2023, as selected by Wallpaper’s Jonathan Bell
What were the best four-wheeled offerings of 2023? Transport editor Jonathan Bell takes us through the year’s most intriguing automobiles
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Morgan Motor Company reveals its new all-electric prototype
The Morgan XP-1 is the British manufacturer’s latest attempt at electrifying its iconic hand-crafted lightweight sports machines
By Jonathan Bell Published