Renault took advantage of the IAA Mobility show in Munich to present the Clio 6. It’s a clear break with the past and a risky gamble: bigger, more connected, more expensive and now available exclusively in petrol and hybrid, the iconic city car – and incidentally its best seller – will have to (con)quer or perish.
This autumn, at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, where ECO MOTORS NEWS made the trip, Renault lifted the veil on the Clio 6. The launch is no mean feat, given that 17 million Clios have been sold since the car first hit the road in 1990. It is not only a Renault icon, but also an emblem of European motoring. The proof is in the Clio 5’s second place in the ranking of the best-selling cars in Europe in the first half of 2025, behind the Dacia Sandero. It would therefore be an understatement to say that this Clio 6, the first models of which are due to leave the Bursa plant in Tunisia in early 2026, will not only be eagerly awaited, but will also play a major role in Renault’s future.
Futuristic design, modernised interior and new on-board technologies
If you put the Clio 6 next to a Clio 5, you’d think they were from two different manufacturers! Quite simply, we haven’t seen such a restyling since the transition from the 2nd to the 3rd generation. And, as was the case then, the new design is divisive. Here at ECO MOTORS NEWS, we love it! With a hint of the Emblem concept car and its sleek, tapered, futuristic lines, and with its aggressive grille and sharp, handsome headlights, the Clio 6 is definitely in tune with the times. But there’s one intriguing detail above all: this city car is becoming ‘decitadinised’. A rather barbaric neologism, but with an extra 7 centimetres in length, for a total of 4.12 m, we’re moving even further away from the original spirit of Renault’s best-seller and its 3.70 m length. And that’s precisely where Renault is taking a risk, since it’s the compactness of the Clio that has made it such a success… Especially as this change in size also implies a change of segment and, de facto, a change in pricing. Although Renault has yet to reveal the price of the Clio 6, it is estimated that it could start at around €20,000, considerably more than the current version. Once again, this is a gamble, since the ‘affordable’ nature of Renault’s city car is another argument in its favour.
But the change in price can also be explained by the changes inside. In addition to a completely redesigned, high-quality interior, the Clio 6 features the same digital interface as the R5 and R4 E-Tech, with a dual 10-inch screen, native integration of Google Maps and the AI assistant, and almost thirty driving assistance devices. A far cry from the crank to wind up the windows…
Clio 6 closes the diesel chapter
It was to be expected, and that’s the way the story goes, but it’s still something: there will be no Clio 6 diesel. The same goes for the smaller internal combustion engines, which explains the higher entry price. The range now starts with a 115bhp three-cylinder petrol engine. A petrol/LPG bi-fuel is also on the programme. But what really interests us is the hybrid model, which will undoubtedly be the biggest seller. This benefits from some significant improvements, notably to the petrol engine, which has been reworked to boost its power by around 15bhp to 160bhp. All this is backed up by the two electric motors that have made the other hybrid models in the E-Tech range so successful. We would have loved Renault to spring a surprise with a 100% electric Clio 6, but that still doesn’t seem to be on the agenda… Let’s just say that a lot of things would have had to be rethought before launching such a novelty, and the gamble is risky enough as it is!
Renault is therefore taking a calculated risk. The Clio is still a safe bet, but the competition is intensifying, particularly in the face of Chinese brands with their formidable value for money, and the growing popularity of compact SUVs. With this longer, more powerful sixth generation, Renault hopes to consolidate the Clio’s place on the European best-seller podium by expanding into other market segments. It remains to be seen whether this strategy will pay off or whether, on the contrary, the Clio 6 strays too far from the Clio spirit for customers who are very attached to the legendary city car.
