The current Renault Clio has been in production
since 2012, making it one of the oldest cars in the supermini segment, but the
French brand will introduce the fifth generation later this year.
Coming as early as the 2018 Paris Auto Show in
September, prior to its on sale date scheduled for 2019, the B-segment car will
basically be an evolution of the fourth generation model, says AutoExpress.
Visually, it will be inspired by the Symbioz Concept and its larger sibling,
the new Megane.
Looking to keep production costs as low as possible,
Renault will continue to offer the next Clio based on the CMF-B architecture,
albeit with a few modifications, which will give it access to a variety of
petrol engines, including the turbocharged 0.9-liter three-cylinder, and the
new 1.3-liter unit.
It's unclear at the moment whether any dCi diesel
mills will make their way into the car, as the French manufacturer is still
weighing in on this decision as the market is moving away from oil burners.
While diesels may be uncertain, the 2019 Renault
Clio will get the 48V hybrid technology, paired to a small petrol engine, which
will lead to lower emissions and improved fuel consumption. A plug-in hybrid
variant has been apparently ruled out, though.
Moreover, the publication reports that the French
brand's next-gen supermini will play its part in their electrified future, so
we're probably looking at a new Zoe too, in the coming years. The 2019 Renault
Clio is also expected to adopt basic semi-autonomous driving, which will allow
it to steer, accelerate, and brake on its own, raising the bar for other cars
in the subcompact sector. Nevertheless, don't expect to read the paper behind
the wheel, because drivers will be obliged to keep their hands on the steering
wheel at all times.
