2019 Renault Clio (Generation 5)

New 2023 Renault Clio goes hybrid only in UK

Heavy update should boost the appeal of France’s Ford Fiesta as ICE rivals exit the market

Renault has refreshed the design of the Clio to make it a bolder and sharper proposition than the model it replaces – something that it hopes will help the hatchback build on its 16m worldwide sales since 1991 (1.1 million of those in the UK).

These changes also bring the car in line with Renault’s new look, with an enlarged chequered grille, a fresh lighting signature, a sharper rear and the brand’s new, and simplified, 2D logo. At the back, it receives redesigned brake lights and a more angular bumper.

Despite a physically bigger appearance, the new Clio keeps the same dimensions as the car it replaces – something that Renault was keen to report.

Inside, it remains largely unchanged, with a new 10in edgeless instrument display (7in on lesser trims) added. Top trims continue to get the 9.3in infotainment touchscreen.

www.autocar.co.uk

New 2023 Renault Clio goes hybrid only in UK | Autocar

Heavy update should boost the appeal of France’s Ford Fiesta as ICE rivals exit the market
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk
 
The new Renault Clio is now a 145bhp hybrid supermini

E-Tech drivetrain is now standard-fit across the refreshed Clio range. Yours from £22k+

In a reasonably literal sense, here is the facelifted Renault Clio. The front-end makeover is pretty striking. The rest… less so. Never mind, we liked the Clio a lot anyway.

Inside there's a new set of displays of course. Because if you're talking displays, staying still is basically going backwards. So it now has a fully digital instrument pod, and higher-resolution 7-inch or 9-inch central touchscreens.

The reshaped front end carries Renault's new logo, in a grille that fades lighter to the edges to give it a 3D domed effect. The running lights are the shape of the logo in a left-to-right flip. In the back, there's a new bumper, and clear covers for the tail-lights.

Design boss Gilles Vidal says it's a 'bold' decision to have such an angular front end with the soft shapes of the existing sheetmetal. Of course it also saves money. But apparently the dealers have said it looks like a fully new car; the face has a huge influence on how people perceive a car.

www.topgear.com

The new Renault Clio is now a 145bhp hybrid supermini

E-Tech drivetrain is now standard-fit across the refreshed Clio range. Yours from £22k+
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Mitsubishi Colt

The all-new Colt is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-B platform and is a five-door compact hatchback developed by Renault. The model will be manufactured at Renault's Bursa plant in Turkey and is scheduled to be in Mitsubishi Motors' showrooms in Europe from October 2023. The all-new Colt - the seventh generation to be launched in Europe - will be reintroduced to the European market for the first time in nine years.

Design

The all-new Mitsubishi Colt features a powerful, sporty appearance that is at home in European cities. The front face echoes the Mitsubishi Motors Dynamic Shield design concept and combines slim, full LED headlights on the upper part with L-shaped LED daytime running lights below for a sharp expression. In the rear, the width-emphasizing bumper provides an agile look with a sense of stability.

Powertrain

The All-New Mitsubishi Colt comes in an environmentally-friendly full hybrid (HEV) model and a gasoline engine model. The HEV model brings together a 1.6-liter gasoline engine; two electric motors (an alternator-starter and a main motor); an automatic, multi-mode gearbox; and a 1.2 kWh battery. The gasoline mode provides the option of a 1.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 1.0-liter gasoline engine with a 5-speed manual transmission.


Colt 1.jpgColt 2.jpgColt 3.jpg
 
Mitsubishi Colt Returns as (Poorly) Disguised Renault Clio

The Mitsubishi Colt badge is back! Look familiar? Well, that’s because it’s little more than a rebadged Renault Clio hatchback…

The Mitsubishi Colt badge traces its origins all the way back to 1962 and has over the years been applied to both passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles (it was, for instance, used in South Africa between 1992 and 2008 on what the rest of the world knew as the L200 or Triton bakkie). After a bit of a sabbatical, the nameplate is back, though this time it’s affixed to what is merely a Renault Clio clone.

Yes, the new Mitsubishi Colt is little more than a rebadged version of the recently facelifted 5th-generation Clio. Like the 2nd-gen ASX unwrapped in September 2022, the new Colt is a product of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance (under the so-called “leader-follower” strategy).

So, will the Colt make its way to South Africa? Well, according to Jeffrey Allison, General Manager for Marketing at Mitsubishi Motors South Africa, the new Colt “is destined for Europe and not for South Africa”.

Riding on the group’s CMF-B platform and manufactured at Renault’s Bursa factory in Turkey, the Clio-based model will technically serve as the 7th generation of Colt to be offered in Europe (more than 1.2 million units of the earlier-gen models were sold in the region), returning to the Old Continent after a 9-year absence.

www.cars.co.za

Mitsubishi Colt Returns as (Poorly) Disguised Renault Clio

The Mitsubishi Colt badge is back! Look familiar? Well, that’s because it’s little more than a rebadged Renault Clio hatchback…
www.cars.co.za www.cars.co.za
 
Renault Clio adds pure-petrol option in UK for £17,795

Renault brings supermini’s entry price down by £3500 in response to “difficult economic climate”

The new Renault Clio has gained a cheaper pure-petrol engine option in the UK, after the supermini was made hybrid-only in a facelift earlier this year.

The decision was made in response to the cost of living crisis, which has affected consumer demand for new cars across the entire market.

Renault said in a statement supplied to Autocar: “We are committed to becoming 100% electrified in the UK thanks to Renault’s E-Tech electric technology, available in both 100% electric and full-hybrid powertrains.

www.autocar.co.uk

Renault Clio adds pure-petrol option in UK for £17,795 | Autocar

Renault brings supermini’s entry price down by £3500 in response to “difficult economic climate”
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk
 
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