Styling
The Mk5 Clio was given its visual update for the 2024MY, which meant sharper, more angular styling at the front to tie it in with Gilles Vidal's more recent visual creations, such as the Captur, the
Scenic E-Tech and the
Symbioz. And it's a successful job, what with the sleek lights, those big 'half-diamond' running lamps and rear clusters which are now tastefully clear-lensed. On the top Esprit Alpine grade like our test vehicle, there are also matt Shadow Grey details in the front bumper (an F1-inspired 'blade') and the rear diffuser, and the overall effect of the work carried out is one of those midlife facelifts that almost makes the Clio look like an all-new car, rather than just an overhaul. Maybe, in years to come, this Renault will be erroneously called 'Mk6' rather than 'Mk5 facelift' when we look back on it, like that weird 1990s period in Ford's history when people thought the updated Mk3 Escort was actually the Mk4, and the Mk4 Fiesta facelift was (incorrectly) dubbed the Mk5, thus muddying the waters of precisely how many generations of each model there were in total. Sorry... we shouldn't have gone off on a wild Ford tangent here, given the circumstances (
silently crosses self and doffs cap in memory of the late, lamented Fiesta)... and the fact this is a Renault review. Ahem.
Interior
A high-quality, well-appointed and smartly finished cabin is becoming a Renault hallmark these days, and the Clio is no exception to this rule. On the Esprit Alpine, there's a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, a 9.3-inch infotainment screen in a portrait orientation, and sculpted, deep-sided sports seats complete with Alpine's 'A' logo on the backrests. Further, a little French
tricolore can be spied on the passenger-side bit of dash fabric, plus lots of useful switchgear and proper, physical, separate climate controls are dotted about the place. Altogether, the Clio's cabin is excellent, even if it's not the most visually daring fascia in the world - or even this class of car. There's none of the aesthetic pizzazz you'd get in, for instance, a
MINI's interior.
Practicality
The Clio has a good amount of leg- and headroom in the back for a car of this size, although taller people are not going to want to sit in the second row for too long. As a plain petrol model, the Renault has a massive boot in this segment, measuring 391 litres with all seats in use. Regrettably, a usual hybrid issue rears its head with the E-Tech, because that cargo space is cut back to 301 litres due to the placement of electrical gear. Nevertheless, that's still a decent amount for a supermini and the 60:40 split-folding rear seats provide a reasonable level of practicality in the compact Renault.
Performance
As before the facelift, the Clio continues with the choice of a 90hp turbocharged petrol engine or this 1.6-based, 145hp E-Tech Hybrid. It's a clever system and it feels like it has been improved for both mechanical and acoustic refinement from our first experience of it in the seriously underwhelming Arkana coupe-SUV, but while it works very well in the main in the Clio Mk5 facelift, we still can't help but wish Renault had just put a regular dual-clutch (DCT) automatic into it instead of the super-complex F1 'dog' 'box it possesses. Again, it's faster-reacting and slicker to change than we remember it from the Arkana, but it's still not a patch on the speed and efficiency of a good DCT or proper 'torque converter'. There are too many occasions where you can distantly discern the Clio Hybrid's gearbox lurching from one cog to another, especially if you make the mistake of altering the angle of the accelerator if the transmission is midway through switch of gear.
Otherwise, though, with 145hp and 205Nm powering 1.3 tonnes of car, the E-Tech system is a more than suitable powertrain for the Clio, and while the 1.6-litre engine does become a little coarse at higher revs, the Renault has more than enough low- and mid-range muscle to keep up with regular traffic flow that such redline excursions are really not a necessity.
And it's effortlessly efficient. On one trip to Stansted Airport and back (110 miles distant from our East Midlands base), the Clio turned in 58.2mpg on the way down the A1, A14 and M11, and then 60.4mpg for the return leg. But it's not just on the motorway that this drivetrain sips decorously at the petrol - after a week in our care and 431 miles covered, it averaged a terrific 58.5mpg during that time. All the performance of petrol with the parsimony of diesel? That's
precisely what a good hybrid ought to be serving up.
Ride & Handling
Striking a good balance between ride comfort and handling sharpness, the Clio doesn't quite hit the highest heights because, while it has positive steering and not much to report in the way of body roll, and suspension that's supple enough to make the car lope along in a steady, accomplished fashion at motorway speeds, it's not the most thrilling hatchback you'll ever drive - the Fiesta was always more fluid and invigorating, and while it's by no means in the first flush of youth, a
SEAT Ibiza provides a more engaging steer - and there are times where the suspension of the Renault feels a little bit out of its depth and crashy; as in, you're always made aware there are 17-inch alloys hanging unsprung at all four corners. But in general, with a high standard of rolling refinement and a 'jack of all trades' capability in the kinematic department, the Clio E-Tech Hybrid Esprit Alpine is a perfectly easy car to get on with.
Value
Specified as an E-Tech Hybrid (rather than a TCe) in Esprit Alpine spec (other grades are Evolution and Techno) and clothed in attractive Iron Blue metallic paint (£750), at 305 quid shy of £25,000, our Clio isn't representing the most affordable of runarounds in this day and age. But for that cash, the flagship trim comes with everything fitted as standard, including (but not limited to) adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors with a reversing camera, 17-inch diamond-cut 'Alpine' alloys, LED head- and taillights, a heated perforated-leather steering wheel and front seats too, automatic climate control, keyless entry and go, the 10-inch instrument cluster and 9.3-inch Easy Link infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charger, and a six-speaker Arkamys uprated sound system.
Verdict
If Renault had fitted the Clio E-Tech Hybrid with a more conventional, slicker gearbox and given it just a touch more handling vivacity than it has, or even gone the other way and made it ultra-refined and comfortable, we'd be proclaiming this French supermini the new class leader to take over from the Fiesta. As it is, the lack of refinement in the drivetrain just takes the edge off the Clio for our liking, but when you consider its tidy exterior styling, its top-notch interior and its easy-going nature plus superb running costs, it's clear to see the revisions to the Mk5 car have kept the Renault as one of the strongest possible choices in this highly competitive sector.
