The Renault Clio has been a successful model, selling at least 13 million units in the past 26 years, and now, Renault has announced a face-lift for the fourth-generation Clio. Before you start holding your breath and expecting to see a radically new Clio, don’t let me get your hopes up – this is a very mild refresh. On the outside, the car changes very little with the same grille, side profile, and most of the rear end carrying over from the current design. Inside, you’ll find a lot of familiarities as well, but there are some touches done to trim elements at the like. There are a total of 11 engines available, with a new 110 horsepower diesel with a six-speed manual being new to the range to go with the option of a six-speed manual for the 120 horsepower gasoline engine.

With that said, I think Renault boasted the word “new” with this facelift a little too much based on what I've seen here, but I won’t rag on them too bad for trying to pull one over on us. To go along with the facelift, Renault is also releasing the Initiale Paris special edition at the same time. This special edition includes an exclusive Givre Grey metallic finish, Nappa leather padded steering wheel and gear shifter, special door panel and dashboard trim, and leather seats in black or black-and-white. It comes standard with features like a Bose audio system, LED Pure Vision headlights, and an R-LINK Evolution infotainment system. Engine options include a 90-horsepower or 120-horsepower gasoline engine or a set of diesels that are available with 90 or 110 horsepower. All told, it’s probably the best version of the Clio money can buy, but we’re not here to talk about it, so let’s take a look at Renault's “new” facelifted Clio.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Renault Clio.

Exterior

As I said before, there isn’t a whole lot that is new on the outside. The wide radiator grille with the Renault emblem carries over from the last-gen model, and the headlights are even the same shape, albeit with a new lens layout. Down below, there is still a large air dam, but it is now extended on the bottom to cover the full width of the lower fascia. New fog lamps are in place with reshaped air inlets.

Moving over to the sides, the entire side profile has gone on virtually unchanged. The car still has that odd bubbly look below the waistline, and that curved piece of body cladding still rests at the bottom of the doors. Around back, Renault continued with the laziness and left everything virtually unchanged. The hatch still has the same overhang and character lines, and changes to the taillight units are limited to a new lens layout with wider and more pronounced reverse lights. There is still a chrome strip on the bottom edge of the hatch, and that trim insert in the rear fascia that mirrors the overall shape of the air dam up front.

The biggest news for the body is the addition of Intense Red, Titanium Grey, Pearlescent White, and Iron Blue finishes to the list of exterior color options, and a “more extensive personalization program.” Based on the outside, it will be hard for the untrained eye to differentiate the facelifted model from the current model, but perhaps Renault felt it shouldn’t mess with success too much and left most major things unchanged. Either way, the exterior certainly isn’t “new,” but maybe the small changes to the front fascia and exterior lights will be enough to keep customers happy.

Interior

On the inside, Renault also kept the changes to a dull roar. The steering wheel has been replaced with a unit that now has a shorter bottom spoke, which gives the wheel a more of an oval shape. The dash and door trim are now single-tone units with slightly revised armrests and identical speaker covers. The center console remains largely unchanged, but the shifter bezel is now smaller than before and a gloss black insert surrounding it. The same HVAC vents are still in place, however, the corner dash units now feature a red outlining ring.

The biggest change comes in the form of the seats. They now feature a new design with leather bolsters and red outlining leather along the outside edges. They also appear to be perforated in the middle. The center stack remains the exact same, but there is the option for one of three infotainment systems, including the Media Nav Evolution, Renault R-Link Evolution, and an all-new smart R&Go system. Each infotainment system is available across the entire range, and Renault claims the Clio is the first to offer Bose quality sound for the B-segment. A front parking sensor and reverse camera are also up for options, as is Easy Park Assist on certain trim levels.

Drivetrain

Renault claims that the new Clio is available with one of 11 different engines, which means a number of engines is growing from last year. That said, Renault announce a new “powerful” and fuel efficient 1.5-liter, dCi, Diesel that delivers 110 horsepower and mates to a six-speed manual transmission. Furthermore, the TCe 120 gasoline engine is now available with a six-speed manual – a new feature for this year. Outside of these few things, Renault said little about the drivetrain, but expect the engines available to range between 90 horsepower and upward of 220 ponies in the range-topping Sport Nav Trophy. If more information for this department becomes available, we’ll update you accordingly.

Prices

The order books for the facelifted Clio open this summer, with first deliveries scheduled for September. Renault has yet to release pricing information, but I wouldn’t expect pricing to change much. At the time of this writing, the current Clio is priced anywhere between £11,145 for the entry-level Clio Expression and £21,780 for the range-topping Sport Nav Trophy model. At current exchange rates, that translates to between $15,751 and $30,782, respectively.

Competition

Chevrolet Sonic

For 2017 Chevy revamped the Sonic. It features an all-new shell with styling cues seen previously on the Cruze, and Bolt EV. The exterior is more stylish than ever. So far, we haven’t gotten a look at the interior of the new Sonic, but Chevy has admitted that it has a new gauge cluster and a new steering wheel. Chances are the limitation of change to the interior is similar to that of the new Clio, but there is some new technology like a powered driver’s seat, keyless entry, and keyless start – the latter of which is said to be a first in the B-segment. Chevy has yet to announce pricing for its revamped Sonic, but it is expected to start out around $16,000 before options, taxes, and delivery.

Read our full review on the Chevrolet Sonic here.

Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta is slated for a generational evolution for the 2017 model year. Unlike the situation with the Chevy Sonic and the Renault Clio, we have yet to see any official images, but we have seen a round of spy shots recently that has shed a little light on the upcoming Fiesta. Exterior updates are expected to be mild, but based on Ford's desire to cover up the fascias, those should be all new to go with new exterior lighting units. Inside, we’re expecting to see a larger display screen supported by SYNC3, and a little more space thanks to the Fiesta’s small growth spurt. At this time pricing is unknown, but we expect the new Fiesta to start out around $16,000 and climb to as much as $30,000 if Ford develops and RS model.

Read our full review on the Ford Fiesta here.

Conclusion

I guess I’m at a bit of a loss here, as Renault boasted the fact the Clio is “new” but after looking at it in detail, it is a very mild facelift. . Be that as it may, the Clio has been pretty successful in its long history, so maybe Renault didn’t want to stray away from the current look too much. Even if that is the case, I expect to see a new-gen model will start to surface in the next few years so we're already halfway through this generation's life cycle. The new Clio will go on sale this summer, so until then, take a look at our photo gallery, and check back with us for future updates.