Renault Clio facelift’s purely-petrol option brings £3.5k price cut

• New entry-level petrol engine offered in Clio range
• Facelifted version originally only available as a hybrid
• 1.0 TCe petrol £3,500 cheaper than the hybrid

Renault has added a new entry-level petrol engine to the facelifted Renault Clio line-up, dropping its starting price by £3,500. The new entry-level power plant can already be ordered through the brand’s website.

With the facelifted car previously only offered as a petrol-electric hybrid, prices started at upwards of £21,000, but the reintroduction of a purely-petrol model sees that starting price plummet to £17,795, which undercuts many key rivals by a significant margin. These rivals include the Vauxhall Corsa, Toyota Yaris, Skoda Fabia and Peugeot 208.

The engine is a familiar unit known as the TCe 90 – the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged power plant found in the Dacia Sandero. It’s paired exclusively to a six-speed manual gearbox, and develops 89bhp. It can average up to 54.3mpg according to WLTP figures, while CO2 emissions range from 118- to 120g/km.

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It’s sold alongside the existing E-Tech hybrid, which uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine combined with two electric motors to deliver a total output of 143bhp. The E-Tech averages up to 67.3mpg according to official figures, and CO2 emissions stand at between 96-97g/km.

Practicality is another big bonus for the new petrol-only Clio; because there’s no battery to accommodate, boot space has grown from 301 litres in the E-Tech to 391 litres in the petrol version. That’s a class-leading figure, which alongside the cheaper starting price, could prove to make the Clio even more attractive for buyers.

Both the petrol and hybrid engines are offered in all three of the Clio range’s trim levels. Entry-level Evolution cars get 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, a seven-inch touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Techno trim adds larger 17-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, front parking sensors and a wireless phone charger, while range-topping Esprit Alpine cars have a larger 9.3-inch touchscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel, and adaptive cruise control.

Renault has no plans to discontinue the Clio anytime soon, either, with the next-generation car already under development and set for a reveal in 2026. It’s also expected that the next generation car will be offered with petrol power in at least hybrid form, as well as a fully electric model.

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