New Renault Clio breaks cover

Renault have gone bold with the next generation Clio.

RENAULT has unleashed the all new Clio. Since it first arrived in 1990, the French outfit's supermini enters its fourth generation. 

The new Clio is a departure from small Renaults of the past. You see, with Clios in the past and the 5 before it, they were chic superminis. The new Clio is sports a more aggressive look. It's started on a clean sheet of paper and with a fresh new look. With a high tail, a low nose, broad shoulder lines and a striking new grille. A common trend these days and as seen in many cars, is that the Clio also has invisible rear door handles.

You could probably say this is Renault returning to form with the design of their cars. We all remember  when they were a bit daring. As seen with the MK2 Megane, Avantime and Vel Satis which were hit or miss. With their more recent cars, Renault go and play it safe again with more conservative designs as you'll see with the cars like the Megane and the Scenic.

Besides a fresh new look, the new Clio will also get a new batch of engines. There will be a new turbocharged 899cc three-cylinder petrol engine, that will produce 90bhp and emit less than 100g/km of CO2. There will also be a 120bhp turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. Last but not least, there will be a Renaultsport model in the pipeline.

Renault have also made the Clio lighter. It will weigh up to 110kg lighter than the outgoing car whilst maintaining its size and proportion. The obvious benefits will be handling, performance and efficiency.

The striking new Clio is not the only new French supermini that's a new kid on the block. With the recent arrival of the new Peugeot 208, that will give Renault some stiff competition. The new Clio goes on on sale in 2013.