First pictures of next-generation Renault Clio

New car is recognisable as a Clio but introduces several new design cues…

New supermini will introduce radical new look and is set to offer hybrid power exclusively

The next-generation Renault Clio is set to ditch pure-petrol engines and go hybrid-only when it arrives next year.

Spotted testing on public roads for the first time, it will introduce several new design cues, such as a more prominent nose with a diamond-shaped grille pattern. It also features twin-decked lip spoilers at the rear, hinting at the prioritisation of aerodynamic performance.

Autocar understands that, under the skin, the 2025 Clio is an all-new car rather than a development of the current model, which was introduced in 2019. However, it is likely to use the same CMF-B platform, borrowing developments from the Ampr Small architecture used for the Renault 5.

The new Clio will be powered by an evolution of the existing E-Tech hybrid powertrain, with an atmospheric four-cylinder engine and two electric motors putting out a combined 143bhp and 151lb ft.

This is set to become the sole powertrain option, in part because of stringent fleet emissions targets being rolled out across the European Union. From next year, car manufacturers in the EU will be required to hit an average of 93.6g/km of CO2, down from 95g/km this year. 

This incentivises manufacturers to drop powertrains that do not feature electrical assistance, such as the current Clio’s TCe 90 turbocharged three-pot, due to their higher carbon emissions.

For reference, the TCe 90 puts out 120g/km, whereas the E-Tech is rated at 96g/km, a reduction of 20%.

Axing the pure-petrol engine would therefore provide a significant cut to Renault’s fleet average – crucial, given the EU’s fleet emissions targets will only become stricter in the coming years, hitting 49.5g/km in 2030.

Autocar understands that Renault has now decided not to offer the new Clio with a battery-electric powertrain, however.

It is therefore possible that it may not be offered in the UK, due to the new Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

This requires brands to sell an increasing proportion of electric cars, starting at 24% of total sales this year and ramping up to 80% in 2030. 

Limiting the number of combustion-engined cars that manufacturers can sell means they will prioritise their most profitable models. Renault will most likely limit – and could even end – Clio sales in the UK because the closely related Captur crossover makes more money from an equivalent number of sales.

Complicating the matter is the cachet that the Clio name holds with buyers in the UK. “Clio is a brand in itself,” Renault product performance chief Bruno Vanel told Autocar earlier this year. “In the UK, it is probably as well known as Renault – or even more.”

A decision is unlikely to be made until 2025, given the car is at least a year away from hitting showrooms in Europe.

As well as its environmental impact, cost is a key consideration in the development of the new Clio.

Vanel said maintaining the current car’s positioning is crucial as the brand introduces a range of new – and more expensive – electric cars to ensure it does not abandon a significant proportion of its customer base.

“We are not moving directly towards 100% electric,” said Vanel. “We are doing it step by step, to have this transition with hybrid cars so that we remain an affordable brand.”

Renault will lean on monthly payment schemes – such as leasing or PCP finance – to ensure the car is affordable, rather than reducing the overall list price of the car.

“We will try to keep the affordability of the monthly rentals,” Vanel said. “If you compare the rentals in 2018/2019 to last year [2022], with the improvement of residual values and even with some price increases, I think we experienced quite a good performance there, which kept the affordability safe.”