The next-generation Renault Clio is set to ditch pure-petrol engines and go hybrid-only when it arrives next year.
It will also introduce several new design cues, pictures of the car spotted testing on public roads for the first time show. These include a more prominent nose with a diamond-shaped grille pattern. It also features twin-decked lip spoilers at the rear, hinting at the prioritisation of aerodynamic performance.
Autocar understands that, under the skin, the 2025 Clio is an all-new car rather than a development of the current model, which was introduced in 2019. However, it is likely to use the same CMF-B platform, borrowing developments from the Ampr Small architecture used for the Renault 5.
The new Clio will be powered by an evolution of the existing E-Tech hybrid powertrain, with an atmospheric four-cylinder engine and two electric motors putting out a combined 143bhp and 151lb ft.
This is set to become the sole powertrain option, in part because of stringent fleet emissions targets being rolled out across the European Union. From next year, car manufacturers in the EU will be required to hit an average of 93.6g/km of CO2, down from 95g/km this year.
This incentivises manufacturers to drop powertrains that do not feature electrical assistance, such as the current Clio’s TCe 90 turbocharged three-pot, due to their higher carbon emissions.
For reference, the TCe 90 puts out 120g/km, whereas the E-Tech is rated at 96g/km, a reduction of 20%.
Axing the pure-petrol engine would therefore provide a significant cut to Renault’s fleet average – crucial, given the EU’s fleet emissions targets will only become stricter in the coming years, hitting 49.5g/km in 2030.
Autocar understands that Renault has now decided not to offer the new Clio with a battery-electric powertrain, however.
It is therefore possible that it may not be offered in the UK, due to the new Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.