The Renault Clio is a supermini launched in 1990, now in its sixth generation. It has been one of Europe’s top-selling cars since launch and is largely credited with restoring Renault’s reputation after a difficult second half of the 1980s.
Renault Clio at a glance
| Maker | Renault, France |
|---|---|
| Production | 1990–present, sixth generation from 2025 |
| Class | supermini (B segment) |
| Name | after Clio, one of the nine Greek Muses |
| Awards | European Car of the Year 1991 and 2006 |
| Japanese name | Renault Lutecia |
| First generation code | X57 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault Clio.
History of the Renault Clio
A name instead of a number
Renault had replaced its R5 supermini with a redesigned model in 1984 but soon began work on an all-new car for the 1990s. It was decided that the new model would carry a name rather than the numeric designations Renault had traditionally used, a policy that spread across the whole range by 1995: the Fuego coupé of 1980 had been an exception, the last numeric Renault was the 19 of 1988, and by the end of 1996 the numbers had disappeared from the range in western Europe. The Clio is named after one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology.
In Japan and Europe
In Japan the car is sold as the Renault Lutecia, because Honda holds the rights to the Clio name after establishing its Honda Clio sales channel in 1984; Lutecia comes from Lutetia, the Roman city that preceded Paris. The Lutecia was formerly available through Yanase, but after Renault bought a stake in Nissan in 1999 the distribution passed to Nissan in 2000 and the car was sold at Nissan Red Stage dealerships.
Success
The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, consistently ranking among Europe’s best-selling cars, and it is one of only two cars, with the Volkswagen Golf, to be voted European Car of the Year twice, in 1991 and in 2006. It entered its sixth generation in 2025.
Design and features
- Two Car of the Year titles: 1991 and 2006, a feat shared only with the Volkswagen Golf.
- New naming policy: the Clio led Renault away from numeric model names.
- Long-running success: a top seller in Europe across six generations.
- Lutecia in Japan: renamed because Honda owns the Clio name there.
Renault Clio versions
- Clio I (X57, 1990): the original supermini.
- Later generations: a new Clio roughly every six years, the sixth arriving in 2025.
- Clio RS: the Renault Sport performance versions.
- Renault Lutecia: the Japanese market name.
The Clio replaced the Renault 5 and sits below the Renault Mégane; its hot versions come from Renault Sport. More cars are in the Renault collection.
Video: Renault Clio road test
Video by stern on YouTube.
Sources
- Renault Clio, English Wikipedia: naming, Japanese market, awards, generations
