2019 Renault Clio (Generation 5)

Sixth-generation Renault Clio revealed with wild new look inspired by Embleme concept

Renault has gone for bold with its sixth-generation Clio, revealed at the 2025 Munich Motor Show with daring design cues inspired by the Embleme concept car.

Will this new look adorn all future Renaults? We can only assume so. The French brand describes its new compact hatch as a more expressive car with strong Latin roots.

“With the sixth generation Clio, Renault’s design teams have embarked upon a new chapter, literally cranking up all the dials to create a new generation of extremely technical, high-precision machines for the brand,” Renault said upon unveiling it at the German show.

The new Clio is 67mm longer, 39mm wider and 11mm taller than its predecessor, but with just 8mm going into the wheelbase as designers have sculpted a longer bonnet to create a sportier persona.

The cockpit features 10-inch dual screens with built-in Google, incorporation Google Assistant and Google Play, with the latter providing access to over 100 apps. The Clio also features a 48-colour ambient lighting system, which is also tailored through the various driving modes.

Aiming for a more upmarket look and feel, the dashboard incorporates textile or Alcantara trimmings, depending on the model, and the brand new seat design features recycled materials.

 
New Renault Clio Unveiled

Sporting striking exterior design, upgraded tech and new powertrains, Renault has whipped the wraps off the new Clio.

Renault has lifted the covers off the brand-new Clio at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, with the sixth-generation model featuring a striking design, fresh tech and a duo of new engine options.

The sixth-generation Clio’s exterior styling is quite a departure from its predecessor’s, with the new model’s sheet metal sporting more angular styling overall. Perhaps the most significant design changes have been applied to the front end, where the brand-new grille is flanked by fresh headlamps, and striking LED daytime-running lights have been incorporated into the more pronounced bumper. New split taillamps can be found round back.

The box-fresh Clio’s sculpted bodywork measures 4 116 mm in length and 1 768 mm in width, making it 66 mm longer and, interestingly, slightly narrower (down 30 mm) than the outgoing model. The wheelbase has been stretched by 8 mm to 2 591 mm. The claimed boot capacity remains unchanged, at 391 litres. Though, Renault says the latter is powertrain-dependent.

www.carmag.co.za

New Renault Clio Unveiled

Sporting striking exterior design, upgraded tech and new powertrains, the new Renault Clio has made its debut...
www.carmag.co.za www.carmag.co.za
 
End of the road for Renault Clio in South Africa?

With the new Renault Clio VI hatchback not planned for South Africa, the nameplate may well have reached the end of the road locally after a quarter of a century…

- New Clio VI not planned for South Africa
- Facelifted Clio V didn’t ever arrive in SA
- Nameplate first launched locally in 1999

The freshly revealed Renault Clio VI hatchback is not scheduled to launch in South Africa, according to the Boulogne-Billancourt-based brand’s local distributor, suggesting this storied nameplate may well have reached the end of the road locally after some 26 years.

Though the pre-facelift Clio V is still listed on Renault SA’s website, the last time a sale was registered in the local new-vehicle market was back in October 2024, when just a single unit was sold. While the automaker’s distributor had previously planned to introduce the facelifted model, it’s now confirmed to us that a “decision was taken not to launch locally because of the [unfavourable] currency rate”.

Furthermore, Renault South Africa revealed to Cars.co.za that the newly revealed Clio VI is “not anticipated for local launch in SA”. Though there’s theoretically still a (slight) chance the firm – which these days relies on Indian-sourced budget cars for much of its sales volume – might one day change its mind, for now the nameplate appears to have wrapped up a local run that spanned some 26 years.

While the 1st-generation Clio was never officially sold in South Africa, the Clio II arrived in Mzansi back in 1999. Over the past quarter of a century, successive generations of the hatchback have launched locally, including various RenaultSport-badged, hot-hatch iterations. Based on earlier figures released by Renault SA, we’d estimate that nearly 80 000 units of the Clio were sold locally.

 
FiestaST said:
End of the road for Renault Clio in South Africa?

With the new Renault Clio VI hatchback not planned for South Africa, the nameplate may well have reached the end of the road locally after a quarter of a century…

- New Clio VI not planned for South Africa
- Facelifted Clio V didn’t ever arrive in SA
- Nameplate first launched locally in 1999

The freshly revealed Renault Clio VI hatchback is not scheduled to launch in South Africa, according to the Boulogne-Billancourt-based brand’s local distributor, suggesting this storied nameplate may well have reached the end of the road locally after some 26 years.

Though the pre-facelift Clio V is still listed on Renault SA’s website, the last time a sale was registered in the local new-vehicle market was back in October 2024, when just a single unit was sold. While the automaker’s distributor had previously planned to introduce the facelifted model, it’s now confirmed to us that a “decision was taken not to launch locally because of the [unfavourable] currency rate”.

Furthermore, Renault South Africa revealed to Cars.co.za that the newly revealed Clio VI is “not anticipated for local launch in SA”. Though there’s theoretically still a (slight) chance the firm – which these days relies on Indian-sourced budget cars for much of its sales volume – might one day change its mind, for now the nameplate appears to have wrapped up a local run that spanned some 26 years.

While the 1st-generation Clio was never officially sold in South Africa, the Clio II arrived in Mzansi back in 1999. Over the past quarter of a century, successive generations of the hatchback have launched locally, including various RenaultSport-badged, hot-hatch iterations. Based on earlier figures released by Renault SA, we’d estimate that nearly 80 000 units of the Clio were sold locally.

Click to expand...
People missed out, all cause of the notion of French bad, German better.
Well priced and decently specced for the time, especially over the German equivalent.
Having had both, the Renu has proven more reliable
 
Renault Clio V (2022-2025) Buyer’s Guide

The Renault Clio is no longer available new in South Africa. So, should you consider a used version of this 5th-gen French hatchback? Let’s investigate.

For those who appreciate a light hatchback, the list of “superminis” no longer available in South Africa is a dishearteningly long one. Household names like the Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio and Nissan Micra have – almost unfathomably – been put out to pasture. And the Renault Clio V is the latest to join this local directory of dearly departed.

The final iteration of Clio to do duty in Mzansi was the pre-facelift version of the 5th-generation model, though it both arrived late and left early. Curiously, the refreshed take on this BJA-series hatch didn’t ever materialise for the local market, while Renault SA effectively ruled out the Clio VI that was revealed for Europe. And that, as they say, was that.

Sourced from Slovenia, the Clio V wasn’t nearly as popular in South Africa as its predecessor. In fact, while the 4th-gen hatchback attracted almost 35 000 sales locally, our calculations suggest its Mk5 successor could muster just 2 130 registrations (admittedly over a briefer period).

Its exit from the local market ended a run that started with the Clio II way back in 1999 (the 1st-gen model was never officially sold in SA). Still, while this storied nameplate’s 26-year lifecycle has wrapped up in Mzansi, there’s theoretically still a chance the Boulogne-Billancourt-based brand’s local distributor might one day relaunch the Clio name.

Is the Renault Clio V a worthwhile used purchase?

Thanks to the small-crossover craze, South Africa’s new-car buyers today have far fewer B-segment hatchback options than in years gone by. Yes, this once-bustling category (which Chinese brands have thus far left largely untapped) is a shell of its former self.

To make matters worse, several contenders in this space – including some that have since departed and some that remain – have evolved from humble runabouts into genuinely upmarket hatchbacks, with the concomitant increase in pricing rendering them inaccessible to many would-be buyers.

Still, while the Slovenia-built Clio Mk5 undoubtedly offers a more premium experience than its forebears, its residual values have clearly taken a hit since the nameplate’s local discontinuation. As such, this model is back within reach of many shoppers, potentially offering very strong value.

With classy exterior styling, a much-improved cabin and a surprisingly sizeable luggage compartment, the Renault Clio V represents a compelling option for those still in the market for a European-built supermini. Considering the majority of modern-day buyers demand automatic transmissions, it’s just a pity only a manual gearbox was available locally.

 
Picked up a brand new Clio last week, a techno TCe 115ps EDC. Unfortunately it's black (you can't choose the colour).

Just got back from a 400km weekend trip to Spain, overall fuel consumption is sitting at aroud 6L/100km. I did most of the trip on cruise control at 125kmh speedo, and 90% of it was free highway driving.

Drives very well, very comfortable, much the same as the Capture we had last year, but the 6-speed box makes a massive difference in driveability.

What is nice is that the car includes free monthly 2Gb of data, so you can run it without Android Auto by simply loging in with your Google account. You can also install other apps - Waze, YT Music, Deezer, etc., but what I find weird is that you can install Amazon Prime, but not WhatsApp or Telegram.

The assisted driving can be configured in increasing levels, so you can have just cruise control, adaptive cruise control, then intelligent assisted driving (this one monitors speed signs, etc., and adjusts your speed accordingly). You can also configure this and the lane assist setting in a custom driving mode.

The 360 camera view is excellent, and very accurate.

All in all, a very decent city car.
 
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