Renault has revealed a heavily updated version of its best-selling Clio hatchback. Arriving just as the Ford Fiesta bows out this summer, the French city car shows there is still a business case for the diminishing small car market – but only when powered by a hybrid drivetrain.
To start at around £21,000, the new Clio will be offered with just one engine option in the UK, with the 1.0-litre petrol engine dropped in favour of Renault's 1.6-litre mild hybrid E-Tech system. This drivetrain cleverly combines the engine with a small battery and motor, with the internal-combustion and electric motors swapping duties depending on how the car is being driven, and regenerate braking used to feed kinetic energy back into the battery.
