New Renault Clio for Geneva

The all-new fifth-generation Renault Clio light car will make its global debut at the 2019 Geneva motor show in early March, bringing with a host of new infotainment and driver assistance technology, not to mention a fresh new look.

Sales of the Clio have amounted to more than 13 million vehicles globally since it was introduced in 1990 but the car has struggled in Australia, managing just 949 sales in Australia in 2018.

Segment rivals such as the Suzuki Swift (7785) and Mazda2 (10,775) have outsold the Clio by a country mile in Australia, but more similarly-priced European rivals such as the Peugeot 208 (195) and Skoda Fabia (883) are a better gauge of where the circa-$17,000 to $39,000 compact car sits.

Based on spy photos taken in late 2018, the new design appears to retain the current vehicle's overall profile but the details such as the headlights, front grille and brake lights are expected to evolve the design and borrow visual elements from its bigger sibling, the Megane.

Renault's chief designer and former Mazda stylist, Laurens van den Acker, will unveil the new model in Geneva, which will incorporate a more advanced infotainment system likely to mirror that seen in the Renault Megane. In other words, expect a bigger screen, aligned vertically, with improved functionality.

There is also talk of the new Clio adopting level one and two semi-automated driving technology, such as auto steering, braking and acceleration.

Currently, the Renault Clio is offered with 0.9-litre, 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines in Australia but that may be changed up for the new model as emissions regulations require cleaner engines. Updated 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre engines are expected for the volume-selling models, while the red-hot Clio RS could get a detuned version of the Megane RS's 1.8-litre turbo four.

The news of the Clio's global premiere in Switzerland was revealed in the car brand's annual sales report, the company stating that it expects a sales boost "…in the second half of the year thanks to the launch of new international models and New Clio, the Group's flagship model in Europe, which will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show".

Other vehicles expected to debut at the Geneva motor show include the Polestar 2 and Pininfarina Battista sports cars, Honda Urban EV compact car, BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi TT S facelift.

Groupe Renault sold a total of 3.88 million vehicles in 2018, which includes Renault, Dacia, Lada, Renault Samsung and Jinbei Huasong brands. The Renault Zoe EV saw an impressive 66 per cent increase in sales, totaling 39,458 globally. Australia contributed 48 Zoe EV sales to that total.