All-new Renault Clio: UK prices for advanced supermini revealed

In 2020, though, it will become the first Renault to use a hybrid powertrain. The system, known as E-tech, will use an 89bhp petrol engine mated to a 40bhp electric motor and 1.2kWh battery. The brand claims it will drive “like an EV” and be 70% electrically powered in town, with three driving modes and regenerative braking.

The same powertrain but with a 9.8kWh battery will make the Captur SUV the first B-segment plug-in hybrid, with an electric-only range of 25 to 30 miles.

As to whether a full-fat Clio RS was on the way, Renault would only confirm that the turbocharged 1.8-litre engine seen in the Megané RS would ‘physically fit’ inside the CMF-B platform - although the presence of Renault Sport programme director Michael Grosjean at the pre-launch preview gives a good indication of Renault’s future plans.

Renault says the new Clio has been developed along three lines: evolutionary exterior design, revolutionary interior design and innovative technology.

Across its four previous generations, the Clio has become Renault’s best-selling model. Unusually, the Clio 4 increased its sales every year from 2012 to 2018 to become the second best-selling car in Europe, largely thanks, Renault thinks, to its design.

“The top reason buyers give for choosing Clio is always design – way more than in other market segments, but also against its direct competitors,” said Vincent Dubroca, the Clio’s product manager.

Senior vice-president of design Laurens van den Acker, whose first Renault was the fourth-generation Clio, said: “When I arrived at Renault, it [the Clio] was looking for its soul. This time, we have so much to build on that it would be a shame to throw it away.”

From a design perspective, then, the fifth-generation Clio seems to pick up from where the old car left off, even though it’s actually entirely new.

The interior is where the biggest changes take place. Van den Acker accepts Renault “dramatically needed to improve perceived quality” and reckons 70% of the time he spent with the new Clio was on its interior.

Of the Clio 4, he said: “The hard plastic was in your face. Now what’s soft is close and what’s hard is far away. We’ve benchmarked against our competitors, but we’re reaching towards premium-segment cars.”

The dashboard is now finished in soft-touch material and is more driver-oriented, with the raised centre console bringing the gearlever closer to the driver. A new airbag allowed for a smaller steering wheel, which in turn makes the instrument cluster easier to read.

Thinner seats have increased rear leg room by 26mm, while the glovebox is bigger and the 330-391-litre boot is claimed to be the best in its class. If the headline objective for Renault’s resurrection of Alpine was to save every gram, for Clio that objective was to save every millimetre.

“The interior is where the emphasis is,” said van den Acker, “but the difference between today and tomorrow is cars become smart.”

To this end, the Clio is available with a raft of infotainment and driver assist features but, said van den Acker, they're easier to use, with items like the temperature controls returning to dashboard buttons.

“The Clio 4 instrument cluster was rich on decoration but not information,” he said. “Designers like the idea of getting rid of buttons because Apple takes buttons away. But with a smartphone, you’re concentrating, and in a car you’re doing 120km/h [75mph].”

The instrument cluster is now fully digital, with a customisable 7.0in screen in place of traditional dials. A 10.0in digital cluster will also be available as an option). The centre console has been redesigned with a 9.3in touchscreen that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It uses all-new software, dubbed Easy Link, which will eventually make its way into every new Renault model. Instead of traditional menus, features like multimedia, navigation and drive modes are presented as widgets on a series of home screens that can be reorganised, as on a smartphone. The portrait orientation makes text entry easier and requires fewer steps than the previous-generation car to enter a navigation destination.

While other manufacturers often save technology debuts for premium models, the Clio was first in the queue for Renault, because the car is “emblematic” for the brand, according to connected car product marketing manager Pierre Loretta. “We do a lot of volume, and I think we’ve done something really beautiful with the new car’s interior, so the system perfectly suits the new design.

“It’s a system that will be deployed in the future across all Renault cars, but we didn’t want our customers to wait too long for a new Clio. They can enjoy the freshest technology we can offer from the very beginning.”

A range of passive and active safety systems are standard on all Clios, including lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking and blindspot monitoring. Traffic sign recognition, 360deg parking cameras and distance warnings also make it one of the most advanced cars in its class. Stop-and-go cruise control will be an option for DCT-equipped cars, and the whole range now includes LED headlights as standard.

“There are features that must be added to get the best safety, but the feedback these systems give isn’t something that NCAP dictates,” Dubroca said. “We want our customers to be as well informed as possible to the car’s surroundings.

“All Clios have radar, but the fact that we display the distance to the car in front on the instrument cluster is something we choose to do. We are able to also add things like stop-start cruise control. Drivers might not know they need it, but it’s beneficial for them.

“Our duty is to make driving safer. We know people will do things like check their phones, but this could keep them safe if they decide to break the rules.”

Not all Clio customers are tech lovers, so there needed to be a balance between adding new features and making them easy enough to use. “The trend among auto makers is to add more and more features, but sometimes it gets too complicated, so we wanted to have something very simple,” Dubroca explained.