Renault Clio review

Quick caveat here – we’ve only driven the new Clio in hybrid form so far, and we probably won’t get a go in the petrol/manual combo until it arrives on UK shores in 2027. Shame, because that should be a bit of a hoot.

The hybrid is Renault’s complex-sounding setup with a 1.8-litre Atkinson cycle engine, two electric motors and a four-speed clutchless gearbox. Petrol-power can drive the wheels when required, but it starts up in all-electric mode every time and most of the time the engine just chirps up occasionally to charge the battery. The smaller second electric motor smooths out gearchanges, among other duties. Renault reckons on 72mpg, while also claiming that it’ll run on electricity-only for 80 per cent of the time in town.

So, what’s it actually like?

Well, while it may look mind-boggling on paper, the hybrid setup makes the Clio very simple to drive. You can’t plug it in, but it will run on electricity alone for a good amount of time, and that means you get the benefit of nippy EV acceleration (0-62mph is 8.3 seconds, but the 0-30mph feels sprightly). It also meant we managed almost 60mpg while driving in a city, and there’s plenty of power in the petrol engine to keep it at a comfortable motorway cruise. It can be a little strange when the engine kicks in at higher revs than your speed might suggest, but that’s just it charging the 1.4kWh battery.

It’s mostly a very smooth system, and there’s even a new ‘Smart’ drive mode that defaults to Eco but will switch into Comfort or Sport automatically if you floor the throttle. Plenty of regen braking available too to get juice back into the battery, although the actual brake pedal is weirdly solid – much like the previous Clio hybrid in fact.

Can it go round corners?

Well, the increase in size overall also allowed for a wider track, so there’s an extra 4cm up front and 1cm at the rear. We’re not about to say that we can feel the difference this makes, but the Clio corners keenly and there’s really not much body roll. The steering has decent feel too and can be made weightier by switching to Sport mode.

There’s also a neat turning circle and it’s just 2.6 turns of the wheel to go from lock-to-lock, compared to 3.3 on the previous Clio. Handy for manoeuvrability, although the column-mounted drive selector doesn’t always allow for a quick switch from drive to reverse.

Is it comfortable?

It’s fine, but the Clio’s ride is certainly stiffer than its in-house rival, the all-electric Renault 5. Where the 5 insulates its occupants from bigger bumps, the Clio crashes over them slightly.