Renault has unveiled its fourth-generation Clio, which is set to make its market debut in Europe after its public showing at the Paris Motor Show in September. Available only in five-door form, the Clio IV will have two engine options at point of launch, these being the Energy TCe 90 petrol and Energy dCi 90 diesel, with a third mill called the TCe 120 joining the party next year.
The new Clio will be the first Renault to feature the new turbocharged Energy TCe 90e, and the 899 cc petrol unit happens to be the first three-cylinder powerplant ever produced by the automaker. As the number in its designation suggests, the engine offers 90 hp and has 135Nm at 2,000 rpm, with 90% of peak torque available from 1,650 rpm to 5,000 rpm.
Likewise, the Energy dCi 90 also has 90 hp on tap, with 220 Nm of torque available from 1,750 rpm from the 1.5 litre oil burner, an increase of 20 Nm over the current dCi 85. Meanwhile, the upcoming TCe 120 is a 1.2 litre unit with direct injection and turbocharging, offering 120 hp and 190 Nm for numbers. It’s currently being homologated and will only be available in the first half of 2013
When it arrives, the four-cylinder TCe 120 will be paired with a six-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) automatic transmission, another first for Renault in the B segment. The EDC transmission will also feature as a choice for the Energy dCi 90 engine.
The kit list will include a reverse camera, keyless entry and a Renault Bass Reflex system, the last promising better bass output and operation thresholds, accomplished without cutting into cabin space. Available as an option is what’s called Renault R-Link, an integrated internet-connected touchscreen tablet with a seven-inch touchscreen and TomTom connected navigation.
Apps can be downloaded to the unit, and one particular R-Link app is called the Renault R-Sound Effect, which enables the audio experience inside the new Clio to be personalised by immersing the cabin with one of six simulated engine sound profiles, each with a specific, attractive signature and perfectly synchronised with driving parameters such as speed and acceleration.
Interior elements include a dashboard sculpted in the shape of an aircraft wing, a wide range of colour options, a digital speedometer as well as chrome and piano-black trim highlights. Plenty of personalisation options, both inside and outside the car – buyers will be able to dress up their Clio with a selection of door mirror housings, grille bars, rear panel skirts, lower door protectors and wheel finishes as well as a choice of roof graphics.
As for the inside, the menu options cover the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel, grab handles, gear lever surround, air vent surrounds, upholstery materials and optional floor mats. The new Clio – which will be made in Flins, France and Bursa, Turkey – will be available in a choice of eight body colours, including the launch colour, Flamme Red, which is derived from the red used for the DeZir.
Look after the jump to check out the full gallery.
Yeahhhhhh hidup Renault , marvellous clio , save money for the Clio RS later
If only Proton commission Lotus (we own them anyway) to design engineered a quality hatch that is as good to drive or desirable as this. It is even more sad knowing the fact that cars like these will cost more than an average Fiesta or Jazz. I do not believe of paying a car that is doubled or tripled its worth, I guess like any average Malaysians we are stuck with our national or used cars. Wake up Proton!
Instead of wasting bandwidth by being a parrot, tell us something we don’t know already. Getting ready to buy your first viva is it
I own a Kelisa. It is a joy to drive. I do think Viva 660cc is a good car, simplicity at its best, small engine, three cylinders with clever packaging. It is a trend that most Europeans or carmakers are heading: downsizing. As a motorist I appreciate the wonderful greatness of motoring. Even if I could afford a BMW 320d, would buy it? I don’t think so with such high taxes that discourage me to purchase one. Life isn’t about having the best things or toys, so let’s not be materialistic shall we? I rather go travel than selling my soul serving loans paying RM 500 / month for a Myvi. I rather do something more enjoyable like travelling. People like you should be more open to new ideas instead of shutting down on others. We need more strong willed Malaysians to make things possible. Then again, what’s wrong with the Perodua Viva?
Maru bro, all i can say is people have different passions.
A Kelisa is a joy to drive around town, how you can LoL at the people sitting alone, in a whale of a veilfire unable to squeeze into a carpark you just got into.
I myself drive a Myvi, but what my soul yearns for is a Z33. Back in my Pre-U days my buddy got a 350z, one fine day i drove him home in his own car and i was possessed. I found myself thinking, how can driving be so fun?! something gradually ignited within me and i started learning everything i can about sports cars, the Z heritage, prices, parts, mods, tech, the elusive heel and toe, the lowriders of san francisco, the drifting scene in japan. i was morphing into a “car-enthusiast”; when i study for my law exams, i will think, damn, i need to pass else i have to wait longer to get my zee. lol all you want but it gets me motivated.
today, i’m a 23 yr old chambering lawyer. i reckon by 25 i can afford a 3.5 litre engine with a 4k roadtax.
there are strong willed people like me (albeit relatively few), who are just seriously into cars, who mod with a vengeance striving to perfect our cars, in an attempt to express ourselves. and there are douchebags who get sports cars, splash cash on it to rev infront of pubs and bars to activate the pussy magnet function. the next time you see a turbocharged myvi on the highway, give us the benefit of the doubt eh? not all of us are splashing daddy’s cash to “look cool”. some of us truly love what we do, and do what we love.
Just thought I’d grace PT with a decent comment rather than succumb to this prevailing coffee-shop atmosphere.
Toyota and Honda can’t produce such beauty like this either. Wake up japs! :)
The Clio is competitively priced. Should be cheaper than Fiesta, Jazz and Polo. Same price as Peugeot 208.
wow. the door handle for back row is well hidden. unique!
you mean like the Alfa Romeo 147’s about 11 years ago?
120hp… zzzz
1.2 litre 120hp gooding yo..170 nm summore..wait for rs, it shud have much powerful engine than this..
The Clio RS which probably has close to 200hp will come later..this model is for majority of people..and 120hp for a small car like this one will smoke many bigger cars…u don’t seem to know about cars and their models’ range…seldom read ah?
Nice! This car looks good… Looks like this will be the new design language for the rest of the model lineup.. Sporty and classy. :)
Sex on wheels…
oh yes…that pretty much sums it up…at least by the way it looks… =)
this has got to be the most beautifully designed small hatch (or supermini as the brits call it) by far…bear in mind that the clio is just about the same size as our myvi…
The looks of this car deserves more hp!
Patience, normally, there will be more “muscular” engines:
1.4 TCe with ~ 160 hp, 1,6 Tce RS with ~ 220 hp
1.5 dCi 110 hp, 1,6 dCi 130 hp
Why can’t we Malaysian own affordable tiny hatches like this??
I would take the dCi 90 unit as my daily drive for work in a heartbeat..
Yeap, the same.
3,2 l/100km with the dCi 90 (and less with EDC gearbox), it’s also a driver pleasure. ^^
Write to TCEAS. They _could_ import it to Malaysia, but apparently they don’t think there is any demand and people prefer the Almera. There is some small hope, IIRC TCEAS has brought in a lorry full of Clios (and it won’t be the RS which will probably make it to Malaysia, but at around 200k). So maybe they are evaluating the car. In that case they need to know there is demand. Overseas it is affordable. Cheaper than the Fiesta for example.
No RS model ??!!
Announced in october, for the Paris Auto Show.
And rumoured with a 1,6 tCe 220 hp!
center console that looks abit like the nissan leaf?
Yeah…but it looks nice, clean and cool….much much better than the Polo….
Wow…. hot hot hatch… 1.2 with 190Nm…this is a ragging bull… but a Very sexy bull tho
can rebadge as savvy neo, stop producing satria neo.
superb design and colour
now that’s a looker
hope to see in our boleland soon…esc the Dci ! Awesome looks ..seems new generation ahead of design after VW Golf TSI.
Pricing could be anywhere 150k for sure if TC Euro bring in …unless by grey improter..price could be around 120k
150k would be idiotic for a B segment car. This thing needs to be priced at 70-80k, depending on the specs. Highest spec could be the wagon, which is even better looking, and more practical. That one maybe 85-90k. Keep in mind that this car is cheaper than the Fiesta overseas (not by a big margin, but it is). Same price as the 208, at IIRC similar specs.
The RS will probably come to our shores, but price will probably be around 200k (which is a bit ridiculous…).
This looks good. RS would probably look better. TCMH should bring this baby in.
My first glance at the center console… oh, did they put an iPad there? Wow that looks wonderful! What a design wonder!
remember also that french carmaker usually dont produce global car.. what i mean is these kind of cars is more for european markets, so if they are brought in here the car will become a premium car, hence the insane price hike
people think french car = premium pricing
other conti brands also get the similar impression
but nowadays the french is looking to go beyond europe so maybe we can see more pugs and citroens and renaults elsewhere too with affordable, if not cheap pricing.. maybe local assemblies too
this car looks stunning.. liked the pug 208 as well
French car makers are usually more budget car makers than other Europeans. Think Hyundai/Kia sort of pricing. Also the Kangoo was priced at around 70k, which was reasonable for a 7 seater MPV. A bit more than the Avanza, but then again it was a better car. The Kangoo was btw. assembled near KL.
Peugeots are very popular in Africa IIRC (the old ones would last forever and take any beating). And the way it seems to be going for PSA in Europe they better look for other markets. Renault is in a better position, especially thanks to cars like the Clio and the Dacia sub-brand.
It is worth noting that for the time being there are still a number of SC, and I can say that the JB one is great. Good pricing, good service. Honest people. Hopefully TCEAS will bring in cars to Malaysia that actually sells in decent numbers, before there is no work left for Renault mechanics.
How to open the back passenger door?
go door handle la.see towards the end of the rear door ,near the C pillar
Stunning. But this would probably be the loaded version with all the bells and whistles thrown in.
entry level French cars can be very…well basic and CHEAP. At least you can add options what you think you would need and pay for.
with more focus on the latter i’m afraid.
the prevailing go-to-small-car in the european climate is generally the fiat 500, and the french automakers get bashed by the europeans as much as we bash proton here on PT.
i have never driven a frenchie so i wont understand what’s the bashing about, but when so many people do it, it must be legit eh?
I don’t think it is justified. My family had the Renault 9, then Renault 19 (ok, first few years were a bit problematic, but once the workshop finished building the car under warranty (they even had to repaint it! The layer of paint from the factory was too thin) it was a reliable workhorse). After that a Citroen Xsara II that we still own, a great car with few problems, good ride comfort and decent handling, and now also a Renault Kangoo. 7-8 years old, apart from wear and tear a problem free car. The interior is a bit, well, it is very plasticy, at least where there is plastic (and not painted metal). But it is made very solid and nice to drive. Besides being _extremely_ spacious, especially for a car that is <4m long.
Now, can a French car compete with lets say a German brand, like VW or Ford? No (at least not in the early 2000s, newer ones have improved, they should be much closer now). The interior feels a bit better, the noise dampening is a bit better, etc. Though I dislike the Golf IV gearbox (compared to the Xsara… compared to cars like the Myvi it is great of course), and the ride was on the stiff side of things. But the Golf, and the Focus, feel better made.
The Fiat 500 is a premium A segment car, I'd rather get the Panda. Same car, but more practical.
In terms of reliability… the servicing interval of the frenchies is insane, 30-35k. Thus problems will go unnoticed until they get very big. Also people tend to buy French cars because they are cheap. People who do that may not care much about their cars, they may not send it to service etc., or will leave things unfixed "because it hasn't broken down yet". A Porsche driver will do much more to keep his car in pristine condition.
i still strongly believe non of the car in market can beat Toyota. Toyota still all of us preferable car.
err, you’re being cynical with your statment rite?
Cheers :)
muka ala-ala estima.
A very nice looking car. Love the curves!
Cheers :)
SO THIS IS WHERE KIA copies their design. The only work done is the so – called Kia Tiger Grille
Sharp Vision, this only problem is that the Korean Pirate move faster then the donor design.
That Junk ex Audi Designer should be ashame of himself.
For the first time EVER, I liked a Clio. Finally.
Neo is far behind larr
Renault has gone from cool to COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!
nice design…
is it a sharing platform with nissan march?…looks similar…
That 1.2 engine must be a newer version to the award winning engine in Savvy and older clio?
i like this car a lot, seeing the quality of this car..is worthy, some people think is too expensive, but thats life! we do not spend whole life just had nothing that could be proud off if we dont own something that we want…
beautiful. The design looks so KIA. Maybe can become proton savvy replacement.hehehe
Please no. Proton mechanics would totally screw it up. This car belongs into the skilled hands of a Renault mechanic.