In-depth reviews

Renault Clio hatchback - Reliability & safety

An early five-star Euro NCAP result proves the Renault Clio is safe

Carbuyer Rating

4.4 out of 5

Owners Rating
Be the first to review
Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

The fifth-generation Clio is based on a new platform, so reliability won't become clear for a few years to come but Renault is in the midfield when it comes to customer satisfaction. Safety is more clear cut, with a five-star rating from Euro NCAP providing lots of reassurance for families.

Renault Clio reliability

The Renault Clio came in 29th place in the 2021 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, which was a pretty strong result, but didn’t feature in either 2022 or 2023’s list. The best indication we have of the Clio’s likely performance is from the closely-related Renault Captur, which finished 34th out of 75 cars in 2023. Renault offers a five-year warranty, which shows how confident the brand is about reliability.

However, Renault as a brand came in 24th place out of 29 manufacturers in that section of the poll, which suggests some parts of the ownership experience aren’t quite as good, and 22.5% of respondents reported a fault within the first year.

Safety

Renault has significantly increased the amount of safety technology fitted in the Clio, giving it lots of big car features. The result was a five-star Euro NCAP score, thanks to standard kit such as autonomous emergency braking (that can detect pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles) along with lane keeping assist and traffic sign recognition. Standard LED headlights help improve visibility at night and there's also a list of optional equipment including the first 360-degree camera offered in a Renault and Traffic Jam Companion, providing semi-autonomous driving.

Which Is Best?

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.0 SCe 75 Play 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £15,020

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.6 E-TECH Hybrid 140 Play 5dr Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Auto
  • Price
    £19,770

Fastest

  • Name
    1.0 TCe 100 Play 5dr Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £17,180

Andy is Carbuyer's managing editor, with more than a decade of experience helping consumers find their perfect car. He has an MA in automotive journalism and has tested hundreds of vehicles.

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