Renault Clio 2016, the best-selling French model gets an update

Diego Ávila @diego_motordiez 13 June 2016 3 min.

Renault Clio 2016, the best-selling French model gets an update

The Renault Clio, the French best-seller and the worthy successor to the legendary Renault 5 of the early 90s, has been with us for 26 years and four generations, proving that it is one of the leading models in the B-segment across Europe. And we are not the ones saying it: it is more than 13 million units sold in just over a quarter of a century.

In 2012, Renault launched the fourth generation of the popular French model. It marked a significant technological leap, with a full infotainment system for a car of this segment and an exterior design that conveyed precisely all the technology found inside.

Now, four years after its launch, the French brand presents a slight update with very subtle changes that are hard to notice unless you pay close attention to the sector.

Aesthetically, we can see a front slightly redesigned bumper, although the main novelty at the front lies in the headlights. For the first time in its history, the Renault Clio offers full LED lighting, with a C-shaped daytime running light. The grille has also been slightly redesigned.

At the rear, in the rear end, there is an barely noticeable modification to the bumper and tailgate, giving its shapes more curvature to add “muscle” to its look.
It also receives new wheel designs and four body colours: Intense Red, Titanium Grey, Pearlescent White and Iron Blue.

The French brand with the diamond logo says it has improved the quality of the materials used in the interior, now featuring upholstery of higher quality than usual, which, and we quote, are normally reserved for higher models in the range. These changes are supposed to improve the feel of the dashboard and some controls, something the Clio has always been criticised for.

Mechanically, the French city car is now available with eleven combinations of engines and gearboxes. It adds the 110 hp dCi diesel engine (with a six-speed manual gearbox), well known within the brand but until now not available on this model, and the six-speed manual gearbox for the most powerful petrol variant, the TCe 120, which until now could only be ordered paired with the EDC automated gearbox.

As for equipment, this restyled Clio brings an improved infotainment system with three different levels (R&Go, Renault R-Link Evolution and Media Nav Evolution). It also adds, to the systems already available previously on the French car, the front parking sensor and the “Easy Park Assist” automatic parking system.

In addition, the model is available with a special edition called Initiale Paris, which is much more premium, with white or black leather upholstery for the seats, Nappa leather for the steering wheel and gear lever, the Givré Grey colour seen in the image below, and the most complete equipment.