New Renault Clio 2023 facelift review

A new look and some minor changes under the skin aim to keep the Clio at the top of the supermini class…

Verdict

The Renault Clio remains a front-runner in the supermini sector, despite this facelift not really bringing many changes. The firm’s use of Alpine as a sporty trim level is an interesting move, although we look forward to trying the cheaper versions with the TCe 90 petrol engine. With the similarly-sized all-electric Renault 5 on the horizon, it has to be said this mild update does look a little ominous for the Clio.

Every car Renault makes is available with some sort of electrification, from the pure-electric Megane to the new full-hybrid Austral. The ever-important Clio is no exception to this and now it’s been facelifted in the hope of widening its slice of the supermini sales pie.

The current fifth-generation Renault Clio has been near the top of its class from the time of its launch in 2019 but since then we’ve seen the launch of facelifted versions of the Volkswagen Polo, SEAT Ibiza, an all-new Toyota Yaris, plus plenty of new competition from similarly-sized, pure-electric superminis. The Clio has its work cut-out more than ever and to help it stand out, it’s received a fairly comprehensive visual refresh.

The front end is much more inline with the new Austral and Rafale, especially in the new top-spec Esprit Alpine trim level (replacing R.S. Line) which gains a contrasting coloured ‘F1 Blade’ in the front bumper, 17-inch diamond-cut wheels and unique badging.

Inside the updated Clio you’ll find a similar layout to before, although this Esprit Alpine we’re testing here has a lot of special touches to distinguish it from the rest of the range. The Alpine-branded seats are surprisingly sporty, with plenty of bolster support. The Clio really does feel premium inside thanks to the French tricolour details dotted around the cabin, aluminium pedals, a perforated steering wheel and Alpine door sills. A few areas of hard-touch, scratchy plastic let the cabin down slightly though.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay can now be wirelessly connected on the Clio’s 9.3-inch central touchscreen (seven-inch on lower spec models). The infotainment system itself is as easy to navigate as ever, although it can be a tad sluggish at times. The driver’s display is a 10-inch screen with crisp resolution and hybrid-only data on show (again, lower-spec models get a seven-inch unit instead).

Back in late 2022, Renault decided to give the Clio Hybrid a tweak to improve performance and efficiency. The powertrain is unchanged with the new facelift, although Renault says there’s been a slight steering recalibration.

In a supermini-sized car, this level of hybrid technology is impressive, although it’s not a seamless incorporation. Renault says the full-hybrid powertrain can combine the petrol engine and electric motor in up to 14 different ways and at times this complexity shows through.

A 1.2kWh battery allows for low-speed electric-only running through a 36kw electric motor and an 18kw starter generator. You have to be delicate with the throttle to maintain EV-only running, however. Once you go above around 20mph the petrol engine bursts into life – which is smooth enough in the standard ‘My Sense’ drive mode but if you’re in ‘Sport’ then the step-change is more apparent.

The powertrain doesn’t feel as quick as perhaps it ought to be. There's 143bhp here and the 9.3-second 0-62mph time sounds decent, but there’s a slight delay through the multimode gearbox. Power is delivered linearly through the rev range but you have to push the engine hard too often.

At speed the Clio settles down well though, refinement is on a par with many larger C-segment cars. Those sporty seats are also comfortable and imperfections in the road are mostly well-damped. You’d be hard-pressed to spot the changes Renault has made to the steering, but that’s no bad thing. The Clio doesn’t throw up any nasty surprises in the bends, the steering off-centre is a little vague but it loads up reliably. It’s certainly one of the better-handling superminis out there.

It’s also impressively economical. Renault says the Clio Hybrid will return 67.2mpg, we found it to be some way off that claim during our test drive with an indicated 57.6mpg but this is still over 4mpg better than what we managed from the older Clio Hybrid.

Renault says the Clio is available to order from August and while pricing hasn’t been announced, we expect a small increase over the current car, with this Esprit Alpine topping the range off at around £24,000. 

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