Currently reading: First pictures of next-generation Renault Clio

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.

It will also introduce several new design cues, as shown in pictures of a new prototype spotted testing on public roads. These include a more prominent nose with a diamond-shaped grille pattern, as well as 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 an upgraded version of that car's CMF-B platform aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs.

The new Clio will be powered by an evolution of the existing E-Tech hybrid powertrain, in which an atmospheric four-cylinder engine and two electric motors put 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%.

2026 Renault Clio camouflaged

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.

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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.

A spokesperson for Renault declined to comment.

2026 Renault Clio camo – side

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.

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“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.

Charlie Martin

Charlie Martin Autocar
Title: Editorial assistant, Autocar

As part of Autocar’s news desk, Charlie plays a key role in the title’s coverage of new car launches and industry events. He’s also a regular contributor to its social media channels, providing videos for Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and Twitter.

Charlie joined Autocar in July 2022 after a nine-month stint as an apprentice with sister publication What Car?, during which he acquired his gold-standard NCTJ diploma with the Press Association.

Charlie is the proud owner of a Fiat Panda 100HP, which he swears to be the best car in the world. Until it breaks.

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Tonrichard 7 November 2024

Surprising to see that Renault are persevering with the Clio as I thought the EU emissions mandate was largely the same as that of the UK. Personally I think the current model is a great little car but it's appeal is largely down to its low price. A hybrid will not be such good value and you have to question whether Dacia are best positioned to represent Renault at the entry level. I'm afraid, despite being an EV owner myself, that the rush to prohibit the sale of hybrids by 2035 and effectively force their withdrawal from the market by 2030 to ensure that at least 80% of car sales by 2030 are pure BEV's is I think too ambitious and therefore a mistake. Anything the UK does to reduce transport CO2 emissions is going to be insignificant against the return of more fossil fuel gas guglers in the US.  

Peter Cavellini 7 November 2024

Camo working?, you can't tell anything from the images what this car looks like,ok, you can see the wheelbase,but that's about it.

jason_recliner 7 November 2024

Looks a lot like every other Clio since 2015. Great but forgettable.

scotty5 7 November 2024
jason_recliner wrote:

Looks a lot like every other Clio since 2015. Great but forgettable.

How can it be forgettable if you remember what they look like?

 

Andrew1 7 November 2024

Good one!

jason_recliner 7 November 2024
Andrew1 wrote:

Good one!

LMFAO!!!

jason_recliner 7 November 2024
scotty5 wrote:

jason_recliner wrote:

Looks a lot like every other Clio since 2015. Great but forgettable.

How can it be forgettable if you remember what they look like?

 

I don't, I just know that it's a good looking hatch in a generic way. Can't even picture the lights and grille very well unless I really think about it. Only element of note is the glass house tapering above the rear wheels.