Renault Clio review - Engines, drive & performance

The latest Renault Clio feels great to drive, with more responsive steering compared to that of the old model, good composure through the corners and lots of grip. We think it offers the perfect balance between comfort and handling, too. Base models get 16-inch wheels which – because of higher-profile tyres – offer a little more cushioning and a more comfortable ride, but the Clio isn’t ever uncomfortable even with the largest 17-inch alloys.

We found visibility to be very good in the Clio when we tested it – the Clio’s front-side windows dip lower than the dashboard, providing a clearer view when approaching junctions.

Renault Clio petrol engines

Having slimmed down the Clio’s engine range, Renault now offers one petrol engine along with the hybrid Clio E-Tech. The entry-level engine is now the 90 TCe, which is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit using a turbocharger to bump power up to 89bhp compared to the now-discontinued 64bhp SCe.

We’ve tried the facelifted version of the Clio with the 90 TCe engine and found it felt quicker than its on-paper figures might have you believe – 0-62mph takes a sluggish 12.2 seconds, but it feels fine on a winding road. Even uphill, the small, peppy engine seems very capable, though we weren’t driving with a car full of passengers and cargo. On wider, faster roads the 90 TCe can get found out, and you’ll have to work it quite hard to get up to motorway speeds. The six-speed manual transmission is good to use, although the gearstick is a slightly odd cylindrical shape. 

Renault's X-tronic CVT automatic gearbox is no longer available for the 90bhp model, but find a used example and it has stepped changes for those who don't like the ‘rubber band’ nature of a CVT and prefer the feel of accelerating through fixed ratios. If you’re after an automatic, your only choice now is to go for the hybrid car.

Hybrid engine

The Clio E-Tech Hybrid uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine, two electric motors and a 1.2kWh lithium-ion battery. Because you can't plug in the Clio E-Tech, its closest rivals are hybrid superminis like the Toyota Yaris hybrid and Honda Jazz, and there's currently no full-hybrid option for the Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo or Skoda Fabia. The car harvests energy while slowing down and puts it back into the battery, then uses it to power the car at speeds up to 40mph.

A complex clutchless automatic gearbox derived from Formula 1 technology shuffles power between the power sources but the Clio always starts in EV mode. We found it's possible to accelerate up to 40mph in electric mode, if you are very gentle with the throttle. More often, the petrol engine kicks in at around 20mph and the hybrid Clio makes some unusual high-pitched noises and whines as it switches between power sources, but they’re not loud enough to be irritating. With more power than the Clio TCe 90 and some tweaks to the powertrain in late 2022, the Hybrid can accelerate from 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds.

18

Around town, the E-Tech is in its element – a clever system means the smaller of the Clio’s two electric motors matches the revs for gearshifts to make them smoother. We’d say it feels smoother and more sophisticated than either the Toyota Yaris or Honda Jazz. When asked to quickly overtake slower traffic the powertrain can become slightly flustered as it decides the best gear to select, and we’ve found you have to push the engine hard more often than you’d expect, but it’s a small complaint. The Clio is comfortable at motorway speeds, as its powertrain settles into a more relaxed rhythm.

It's possible to put the Clio in a pure-electric mode, perhaps if you're in a town centre or car park for example, and nudging the gear lever into 'B' mode boosts the regenerative braking considerably, to the point the E-Tech can be driven almost entirely using the accelerator pedal.

Diesel engines

Although it’s not on sale anymore, there was a diesel version with a Blue dCi engine – it was a 1.5-litre and was only available for a short time. It’s not particularly quick, accelerating from 0-62mph in 14.7 seconds, but if you’re looking for a used model for lots of motorway trips, it’s worth a look.