2026 Renault Clio Dimensions, Review, Features
2026 Renault Clio Dimensions, Review, Features – The 2026 Renault Clio isn’t about to give up on its status as one of the best superminis on the market. The Clio is a well-built and equipped car that feels and handles just as sophisticated as many bigger hatchbacks, despite its low cost. After getting a makeover, the already exquisite Clio looks even better, turning heads everywhere she goes.
The Clio’s interior prioritizes ergonomics above style, which is a good thing, even though it lacks the wow factor of Renault’s more modern vehicles or its Google tech. Although the class-leading boot size and excellent fuel efficiency of the full-hybrid Clio E-Tech are impressive, there is still a reasonably priced pure-petrol version that handles like an electric vehicle (EV) in urban areas. Whatever the situation, the 2026 Renault Clio is a capable supermini that merits careful thought.
The 2026 Renault Clio is one of the most well-known names in the automotive business, at least in Europe. It’s a brand associated with reasonably priced, entertaining superminis that exude big-car appeal. More over 16 million Clios have been sold since the model’s 1990 debut. Currently in production and continuing on the legacy, the fifth generation model has earned our Supermini of the Year award three times, in 2020, 2021, and 2022. 2026 Renault Clio Dimensions
2026 Renault Clio Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior & Interior
For the mid-life facelift, Renault chose to abandon the original Mk5 Clio’s smooth and subtle front end in favor of a more sharper and undoubtedly more distinctive look. The new Renault Austral family SUV, the all-electric Megane E-Tech hatchback, and the Rafale coupe-SUV served as inspiration for this design.
The updated Clio features a new, dramatic lighting signature on each side, as well as smaller LED headlights than the previous model. The rear end of the car has also received some modest modifications, such as new taillights and aerodynamic bumper pieces, to emphasize its width. The new top-of-the-line Esprit Alpine grade comes with some very gorgeous diamond-cut rims in addition to new 17-inch wheel designs and color choices.
In terms of materials used, construction quality, and—possibly most importantly in the present market—infotainment, the Mk5 Clio outperformed its predecessor to a remarkable extent. Renault’s decision to make few interior alterations during the vehicle’s facelift is not surprising, considering the car was already one of the best in its supermini class. Still, the Clio’s interior isn’t as good as the Austral or Megane’s, and it lacks the Google tech found in both of them, so a few more upgrades would have been nice.
Positively, the Clio’s dashboard still places ergonomics above design; all of the primary controls are raised to make them easy to reach while driving, and real dials and piano-style keys are still in place. The central, conveniently situated touchscreen infotainment display is tilted towards the driver and comes in two sizes.
Despite the abundance of plastic items on exhibit, most of them appear to be well-made and manufactured. In addition, a lot of the Clio’s current iterations don’t use cowhide since they employ materials that are either biosourced or partially recycled.
The Iconic and SE Edition trims of the Clio lineup have been discontinued, and the R.S. Line behind the new Esprit Alpine trim has been replaced with Evolution and Techno specifications. Additionally, E-Tech Engineered was withdrawn. 2026 Renault Clio Dimensions
2026 Renault Clio Specs
Engine & Performance
When driving, the 2026 Renault Clio seems like a high-end car overall. It’s comfortable, smooth, and, at higher speeds, just as sophisticated as some hatchbacks in the class above. Still, the Clio is still one of the best-handling superminis on the market and has earned a reputation for exhilarating driving over time.
Although there is some body roll when you hurl the Clio into curves, the steering is generally straight and well-weighted. Because of the Clio’s comfortable ride, it also keeps its cool on bumpy country roads. The top-tier esprit Alpine models’ extremely supportive sports seats assist keep you from sliding about the cabin during abrupt direction changes, although larger persons might find them a little too snug.
The six-speed manual gear lever on the high-mounted pure-petrol variant is well-designed ergonomically, although the way it changes gears isn’t very exciting. Although it’s more fun to swap gears in a SEAT Ibiza or Volkswagen Polo, the Clio’s manual transmission isn’t all that horrible.
However, you can accelerate from a standstill thanks to the Clio’s hybrid drivetrain, which always starts in electric mode. You have to take great care not to stir up the E-Tech’s petrol engine, which will rouse from hibernation if you press the accelerator faster than 20 mph. The step-change is not as noticeable when you use the default “My Sense” driving mode. But, when you switch to “Sport,” it is more noticeable.
The 1.0-liter, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine of the basic Clio produces 160 Nm of torque and 89 horsepower. It can accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 12.2 seconds, with a top speed of 112 mph. A six-speed manual gearbox provides power transfer to the front wheels.
By comparison, the Clio E-Tech boasts a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors that work together to provide a combined 143 horsepower and up to 205 Nm of torque when the electric motor is running. Renault claims the hybrid Clio can accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 9.3 seconds, which sounds great, but sometimes the gearbox operates strangely when deciding which gear to shift into and when to decelerate. There is also a maximum speed of 112 mph for the Clio E-Tech.
The Toyota Yaris and the E-Tech hybrid system differ in a few ways. Though the Clio has two electric motors, the wheels are only moved by one of them. The engine is started and smoothed out during gear changes by the other, smaller motor. Even at extremely high acceleration, power delivery is linear; nevertheless, the gearbox shifts slowly, and there are no paddle shifters on the steering wheel or other ways to force it to do so. 2026 Renault Clio Dimensions
2026 Renault Clio Fuel Economy
Despite initially only being offered with a complete hybrid drivetrain, the facelifted 2026 Renault Clio now has a pure gasoline engine option once again. The pure-petrol Clio has returned, according to a statement from Renault to Auto Express, “in order to meet the needs of some customers in a difficult economic climate.” But other rival superminis, including the Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz, are now exclusively hybrid cars.
The basic Clio TCe 90 is powered by the same 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine used in the distantly related Dacia Sandero, and comes in for slightly less than £18,000. The Clio’s three-pot engine can get an average of 54.3 mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, emits 118 to 120g of CO2 per kilometer, and comes with a six-speed manual transmission.
Even with the recent redesign, the full-hybrid Clio E-Tech still costs £3,500 more than the same pure-petrol car. In return for reduced CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy, you could drive about on electric power.
Renault claims that the Clio E-Tech can get up to 67.3 mpg and emit 96–97 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Although we couldn’t get the same mileage on UK roads, we were still able to average 55.2 mpg on a journey that included highways, cities, and a few thrilling laps on rural roads in our hybrid supermini test.
2026 Renault Clio Safety Features
The fifth-generation 2026 Renault Clio is the safest Clio to drive to date. It underwent a crash test in 2019 and produced remarkable results according to Euro NCAP. In addition to receiving the highest grade of five stars from the industry, it also received scores of 96 and 89% in the categories of adult and child passenger protection. Notable is also the fact that the Clio’s safety assistance technologies were rated at 75%. The Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa, on the other hand, received four stars from the NCAP.
The Clio’s wide range of active safety features helps it succeed in this area. All trim levels are equipped with standard technologies including automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, and emergency brake aid.
Base model Evolution comes with rear parking sensors, while mid-range Techno cars come equipped with front and rear parking sensors along with a reversing camera as standard. Rear cross-traffic warning, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring are features that the top-of-the-line Esprit Alpine model offers to assist you prevent accidents when reversing.
Note: The details included in this blog post are derived from pre-release material that was accessible when the article was written. If you want the latest information, you should check official sources or call your nearest dealership.
