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Renault is presenting the all-new Clio, the fifth generation of the automotive icon.
To date, some 15-million units of the Clio have been sold since it was launched in 1990 and it has become Renault’s best-selling model worldwide.
French icon
It represents the French population's favourite car more than any other model and has risen to the top of the B segment in Europe since 2013. In a remarkable sales performance, Clio sales increased each year between 2012 and 2018.
READ: The feisty new RS 18 F1 edition is Renault's hottest Clio yet in SA
More modern and athletic, the Clio draws on the DNA responsible for its success for nearly 30 years. It builds on the strengths of each of the four previous generations, opening a new and highly anticipated chapter in an illustrious story.
Designed according to the "Evolution and Revolution" principle, the Clio rewrites the rule book with more mature body styling and an entirely revamped interior.
Featuring more sculpted lines and a more assertive front end, it gains in vitality and modernity while remaining instantly recognisable, despite the fact that it comprises 100% new parts.
Inside, the revolution is strikingly clear. The completely redesigned interior is inspired by higher-end segments, both in terms of perceived quality and available technology. These strengths benefit all motorists, bringing them greater practicality and ease in use.
'The Clio is an icon'
Laurens van den Acker, Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, said: "The fifth generation Clio is very important for us as it is the best-seller in its segment and the second best-selling car in Europe, all categories combined. The Clio is an icon, and the latest features the very best of the previous generations.
"The exterior design of Clio IV won over our customers and continues to do so today, so we chose to keep that DNA while bringing modernity and elegance to the new model.
"The interior has undergone a true revolution, with a considerable improvement in perceived quality, greater sophistication and technology. It is the best Clio yet."
An interior revolution
It takes just an instant to notice. Perceived quality and the ergonomics of the driving position were set as priorities for the car's interior design teams.
The cabin takes on a new dimension in perceived quality with high-end materials, a soft coating on the dashboard, door panels and central console surround, and meticulously finished furnishings.
Image: Newspress
Featuring a more compact design to free up space and integrate more in-car technologies, the Clio's all-new 'Smart Cockpit' is driver-focused.
The wave-like shape underlines the impression of width. Equipped with the widest screens in the segment, it provides resolutely modern ergonomics for a more immersive driving experience.
The car makes innovations unique to the segment widely accessible, among them an electric parking brake, which is particularly useful in city driving.
Multimedia screen
A key component of the Smart Cockpit, the 9.3" multimedia screen is the biggest ever on a Renault model. The vertical and subtly curved tablet, inspired by that on Espace, visually enlarges the dashboard, lends the cabin a more contemporary feel and improves screen visibility.
Image: Newspress
Turned towards the driver, the screen, with its new Easy Link connected system, comprises all the multimedia, navigation and infotainment features as well as the Multi-Sense settings, all of them remarkably simple to use.
Digital instrument binnacle
For the first time, the car is equipped with a digital screen replacing the traditional analogue display. The technology has been adopted directly from higher-end segments.
Measuring 7 to 10", the TFT screen can be used to customise the driving experience in a highly intuitive manner. The 10" version will include GPS navigation in the display. With its two, 9.3" and 10" screens, it also boasts the largest screens in its category.
Dashboard
Particular attention was paid to the quality of the car's entirely redesigned dashboard. It is divided into three parts: a top panel with a foamed coating, a coated and customisable central panel, and a lower area housing functional components such as the glove box.
The dashboard's wave-like shape lends extra visual width to the cockpit. This impression is further heightened by the horizontal forms of the central and side air vents.
Below the central screen, meticulous attention was paid to ergonomics, with ‘piano’ buttons and direct-access air conditioning controls for easier use by drivers.
Steering wheel
The new, more elegant steering wheel has a more compact design through the use of a more compact airbag than on the previous model, improving dashboard visibility for the driver.
Equipped with a thumb rest and a broader hoop, the new wheel is also a pleasure to hold. It is fitted with new, more comprehensive and back-lit controls and contributes to the improvement in perceived quality with its satin chrome finish.
Central console
The central console is also a key component of the Smart Cockpit. Positioned higher for enhanced ergonomics, it is home to a shorter gear lever offering a natural and comfortable grip.
The coated central console can be customised depending on the interior design scheme and features special lighting on its outer edge. The eminently practical storage compartments built into the lower part of the console make life easier for passengers, including a wireless smartphone charging area.
Seats
The seats are generally seen in higher-end models. They provide better support through a longer seat base and a more enveloping shape.
Their semi-soft shell significantly improves knee space for rear passengers when their new, thinner comma-shaped headrests improve rear visibility and bring back-seat passengers a greater sense of spaciousness.
Image: YouTube
Particular care has been taken in the choice of materials, as in the case of the dashboard. As such, these contribute to the improvement in perceived quality on board. The seats are also more ergonomic and easier to use thanks to more accessible controls.
Door panels
The door panels are also available in soft materials unique to the segment. The coated panels boast large inserts enlivened, like the armrests, by a range of available design schemes. The inserts are also equipped with a soft, indirect and diffuse light ambience.
Customisation
Each owner can create a car that reflects their personality with a range of customisation packs, deciding on the appearance of the central console, dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and armrests.
Customers can choose between no fewer than eight interior design schemes and benefit from an innovative customisation offering with special colours for the line formed by the air vents spanning the entire width of the dashboard. It is also available with ambient lighting in eight different colours.
