Next Renault Clio to cover all bases

Renault’s upcoming fourth-generation Clio will come to Australia in less than 12 months with a full entourage of variants that will cover all bases in the bustling light-car segment for the first time.

Due on sale here in mid-2013 with petrol and diesel power, the option of both manual and automatic transmissions and the promise of an RS hot-hatch version by the end of next year, the new Clio will be the French brand’s first direct rival for both popular European-designed B-segment hatches like the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia and Peugeot’s upcoming 208, and cheaper Asian-made light hatches.

The Clio II was available in Australia in a wider range of variants than the outgoing Clio III, which is only offered in a single, high-performance Renault Sport variant, the RS200 hot-hatch, priced at a relatively expensive $36,490 plus costs.

But the widest variety of derivatives ever offered to Australians is expected to make Renault’s all-new Clio a mainstream player in the light segment, and the French maker’s biggest-selling model.

“We will offer a full range of new Clio models – from entry-level to RS – including petrol and diesel, allowing it to compete with a wider range of models,” said Renault Australia Managing Director Justin Hocevar at this week’s launch of the upgraded Megane RS265 hot-hatch.

The new five-door-only Clio, which ushers in a fresh design language for Renault under the direction of former Mazda chief designer Laurens van den Acker, will be released in the UK – the first right-hand drive market to receive it – in the first quarter of next year, followed by Australian sales from around June.

A full range of turbo-petrol and turbodiesel engines, plus six-speed manual and EDC dual-clutch automatic transmissions, will be available from launch, priced from under about $17,000 and designed to play a key role in Renault’s ambitious local sales expansion.

Though it’s yet to be confirmed, the local engine line-up is expected to comprise a 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine outputting 88kW/190Nm and a 1.5-litre turbodiesel that delivers 220Nm and consumes just 3.2L/100km.

Renault will not say whether Europe’s price-leading three-cylinder petrol engine will be offered here. Fitted with a fuel-saving idle-stop function in Europe is a new 0.9-litre turbo-petrol triple that produces 66kW/135Nm and returns fuel economy of just 4.3L/100km.

However, it has confirmed the new Clio RS – which is tipped to be powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four instead of the current RS200’s naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine – will arrive here within six months of mainstream Clio 4 models.

Due to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, Renault’s direct rival for the Polo GTI, Fabia RS and upcoming Fiesta ST and 208 GTI will break more traditions by being available only in five-door form (albeit with hidden rear door-handles) and without a manual transmission.

As we’ve reported, new Clio features will include the Renault Bass Reflex sound system, which is designed to deliver thumping bass from relatively small door speakers, and the French company's new in-car infotainment system. R-Link comprises a large fixed colour 'tablet' that can be used to play music and download apps from a dedicated store, but is not yet confirmed for Australia.

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