Carscoops spy photographers have managed to snap the
fifth-generation Renault Clio testing in Sweden. We’ve been waiting for the new
model for quite some time and finally, it seems to be just around the corner. Rather than developing an all-new
platform for the new Clio, the French auto manufacturer will update the CMF
architecture of the current car. However, the updates to the current platform
will allow Renault to introduce a selection of new powertrains.
At the base of the petrol range will sit a 0.9-liter
turbocharged unit, while just above it, there will be a handful of turbocharged
1.3-liter fours, developed alongside Daimler, available in a number of guises. The flagship engine will take the
form of a mild-hybrid pairing a 48-volt electrical system with one of the aforementioned 1.3-liter turbo engines and a small electric motor.
It remains to be seen if this engine will also power the Renault Sport versions
or if Renault will opt for a different powertrain. An all-electric version is
also a possibility.
These images of the new Clio reveal that it’s
exterior design will be a dramatic departure from the current car and, on first
impressions, it also looks larger than the current model – but that’s likely
just the camouflage playing tricks on us. What we do know for sure is that
design inspiration will be taken from the current Megane as well as the Symbioz
concept.
More important than the new design will be
the inclusion of Level 2 autonomous capability, making the next Clio the first
in its class to feature such technology. Renault was expected to unveil
the all-new Clio at the Paris Motor Show in September last year, but this
didn’t happen. A debut was then tipped for January 2019 but it was once again
delayed following the arrest of chief executive Carlos Ghosn. Therefore, the
Geneva Motor Show in March now seems the most likely location for the car’s
launch.
