Renault Clio E-TECH: the hybrid car you were waiting for

With the Renault Clio E-TECH hybrid, the brand now offers two propulsion variants within the range that carry the DGT ECO label.
We already told you in the range road test of the new Renault Clio that the French city car would feature ECO versions. On the one hand, Renault continues by offering a LPG variant with the new Clio GLP. On the other, we anticipated the arrival of a Clio hybrid.

Now, Renault has officially presented its new hybrid versions at the Brussels Motor Show, which share the E-TECH technology. On the one hand, the new Renault Clio E-TECH, a full hybrid. On the other, the new Renault Captur E-TECH Plug-In, in this case with plug-in hybrid technology.

The new Clio hybrid thus joins the category of “small and affordable” hybrids, until now dominated by the Yaris, which has already given us a glimpse of what the new Toyota Yaris Hybrid 2020 will be like.

Clio E-TECH: up to 40% less consumption

Since Renault announced this hybrid technology, two very striking figures have stood out: its ability to drive in town up to 80% of the time in electric mode, and consumption savings compared with combustion-engine versions of up to 40%, also in town driving, where hybrid cars have the advantage.

In the case of Renault, to achieve this they have developed a novel technology. To begin with, the hybrid system features two electric motors instead of one. The more powerful one delivers 48 CV, and is mainly responsible for driving the wheels in electric mode and assisting the combustion engine, a naturally aspirated 1.6 petrol engine with 90 CV.

The second electric motor, much smaller, offers 20 CV. It acts as the starter motor to start the combustion engine, but it also works together with the more powerful electric motor to recover energy during deceleration or braking phases, in addition to adding thrust when needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Zst0szwzM&feature=youtu.be

The total system power is 140 CV. A very particular technical feature of the Clio hybrid is the new gearbox used by Renault, which does not require a clutch.

The battery of the Clio E-TECH hybrid system is lithium-ion, with a capacity of 1.2 kWh and a nominal operating voltage of 230 volts. It is placed under the boot floor.

The “ECO” alternative to the LPG versions

Renault has not disclosed official performance figures. Nor does it clarify whether the hybrid system reduces boot capacity in the Clio hybrid, of which it is said to weigh only 10 kg more than the 115 CV dCi, and that it can accelerate from 80 to 120 km/h (overtaking manoeuvre) in under 7 seconds.

Unlike other hybrids of this type, the use of two electric motors and an efficient control system that manages the operation and interaction of these with the petrol engine allows the Clio E-TECH to extend its electric-mode range to around 5 km in town. In addition, it reaches speeds of around 75 km/h without the combustion engine intervening.

This new Clio hybrid thus joins the Clio GLP as a new version in the French city car range that carries the DGT ECO label. We will have to wait for its launch in the summer to see the range configuration and prices, as the hybrid will sit above the LPG variant in power, technology and price, and will be combined with the higher equipment versions.

Aesthetically, the main differences from the rest of the range affect the exterior, in the form of identifying badges and a specific rear skirt. Inside, in addition to the gear lever and the “EV” button to force electric mode, it will come as standard with digital instrumentation, with information screens on the operation of the hybrid system.

Image gallery Renault Clio E-TECH

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackRenault Clio20 versions · from 16,390 €