Renault Clio

The Renault Clio is a supermini hatchback produced by French automaker Renault since 1990.

Renault introduced the vehicle to replace the Renault 5, naming it after the Greek muse Clio. The model spans five generations, debuting in 1990, 1998, 2005, 2012, and 2019, with body configurations offering three-door and five-door hatchbacks, four-door sedans, and station wagons. The initial base version used a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine with a single-point fuel injection system that produced 40 kW (53 hp). Over sixteen million units were sold globally across its first three decades of production, making it the most produced French automobile in history.

Renault Sport developed performance editions that competed in international rallying and track series. The 1993 Clio Williams featured a 2.0-liter 16-valve engine delivering 110 kW (148 hp) and reached a top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph), designed to homologate cars for Group A rallying. Jean Ragnotti won the French Rally Championship in 1991 and 1994 driving competition models of the car. In 2001, Renault released a mid-engine rear-wheel-drive variant named the Clio V6 Renault Sport, which housed a 3.0-liter engine directly behind the front seats.

The car earned the European Car of the Year award twice, first in 1991 for the original generation and again in 2006 for the third generation. A television advertising campaign in the United Kingdom featuring the characters Nicole and Papa ran from 1991 to 1998, drawing an estimated twenty-three million viewers for its final episode. Safety testing in 2005 saw the third generation earn a five-star crash test rating from Euro NCAP. Assembly took place across manufacturing plants located in Flins in France, Valladolid in Spain, and Novo Mesto in Slovenia.