A major restyling of the Renault Clio II has involved a change in 50% of its structural and bodywork components. In addition, a new interior improves quality considerably from the current versions. Other changes include the introduction of electric power steering.

But what promises to be a new ‘heart’ to the car is the upcoming 1.5-litre dCi common rail turbodiesel engine, which will be available in 65bhp and 80bhp options, and according to Renault will offer the best fuel consumption figures in the market.

The new Clio will go on sale at the beginning of June. The front end has the new brand identity seen in the Renault Vel Satis luxury executive car which was launched at the Geneva Motor Show this year. The bonnet has a central crease, and new twin-element headlamp units, with high mounted indicators, are longer and rise along the body sides.

At the back the larger logo now appears at the centre of the rear hatch and includes the hatch release. The New Clio retains its rear ‘bubble’ window style and its double curvature rear hatch design. The rear light clusters are now covered by a ‘crystal’ ellipse which includes the reversing lamps and the indicators.

The interior has an all-new dashboard, with a double-bulged hood extending above the instrument dials. New stowage spaces have been added, including a tray with two moulded cup-holders at the base of the centre console. The fabric and colour schemes used for the interior are new, and the choice of materials endows the car with a very high level of perceived quality.

The New Clio now offers adaptive front airbags, together with safety belts equipped with load limiters (400kg for the front seats) and pretensioners. The system is supplemented by head/thorax side airbags. Emergency Brake Assist which is fitted to all versions of the car as standard, except for the Renault Sport 2.0 16V.

The new ‘K9K’ family of turbodiesel engines make use of an innovative high-pressure diesel injection system developed with Delphi Automotive Systems. The petrol engine range has been carried over with improvements - the 60bhp 1.2. the recently introduced 75bhp 1.2 16V, the 98bhp 1.4 16V, 110bhp 1.6 16V and 172bhp 2.0 16V reserved for the Renault Sport version. That last engine is now more flexible from the lowest speeds.

The flexible bushes used in the rear suspension mountings of the sporting versions have been adopted for all versions. Either 14-inch or 15-inch wheels are used, and ventilated front discs of 259mm diameter now equip the entry-level versions of the range. Finally, the New Clio Renault Sport 2.0 16V has new front suspension settings, new damper rates and new 16-inch wheels and tyres to optimize the efficiency of the chassis.

On the new electric PAS the assistance is full-time - it reduces fuel consumption by 0.2 litres/100km by comparison with conventional hydraulic power assisted steering.

The New Clio is fitted with a new scuttle, new subframe and revised engine mountings, and, in a world first, there’s a vibration damping windscreen in the 1.4 16V, 1.6 16V and 2.0 16V Renault Sport versions. This windscreen eliminates booming at medium and high speeds. The new diesel engines are equipped with a noise sensor which allows each injector to be self-calibrating. This significantly cuts down rattling and vibration.

Multiplexing allows features such as a combined rain and light level detector, regulated air conditioning, and the latest-generation GPS-based Carminat Navigation system with real-time traffic information (in markets where SatNav is available).

Trim designations apart from the 2-litre Sport are Authentique, Expression, Privilège and Dynamique.