The first information on the 2026 Renault Clio has leaked – a big surprise looms

The future Renault Clio, whose presentation will take place next year, was recently spotted during tests on the roads of southern Europe.

With nearly 100,000 new examples sold, the Renault Clio is the best-selling car in France in 2023. A popular success that has never wavered since the launch of the city car in 1990, and Renault has well the intention to prolong this idyll. The sixth opus of the Clio should arrive in dealerships in early 2026 but some of our colleagues have already seen it, certainly heavily camouflaged, driving in recent days on roads in southern Europe. With a major surprise given the direction taken by the manufacturer in recent times.

Renault has taken the spotlight enormously in 2024, with the release of new models (Rafale, Symbioz), the renewal of the Scenic and Captur, and the presentations of the emblematic and highly anticipated Renault 5 – the first deliveries of which are planned for the end of the year. year – and Renault 4. Above all, after announcing that all of its production would be electric by 2030, the diamond brand has clearly accelerated its electrification process. Four of its flagship models, namely Mégane, Scenic, R5 and R4, have gone 100% electric. And this will also be the case for the future Twingo E-Tech.

It was therefore plausible to imagine the Clio 6 also taking the plunge. But no, the city car adored by the French will ultimately not be available in all-electric form, barring any surprises. Renault has chosen to keep thermal versions of its best-seller, which is easily understood due to the fairly flat sales dynamics of vehicles without CO2 emissions. We can also imagine that Renault does not want to see its future city car driving on the borders of the R5…

Beyond the engines, which will therefore be thermal and hybrid, what will the future Clio 6 look like? Despite the imposing protections on board during the testing phases, it is possible to discover a modified grille, larger and filled with multiple diamonds, while at the rear the lower part of the tailgate is much more vertical than on the last generation . Another major change: the Clio’s lighting signature. Goodbye to the inverted diamond headlights, the city car will get a new look that closely resembles the Emblème concept presented at the last Paris Motor Show. The daytime running lights, front and rear, have been simplified while the headlights are on two floors, separated by air inlets positioned on each side of the shield.

If many mysteries remain, the next Clio has revealed its first little secrets despite itself. To find out more about its design and interior, you will have to wait until its presentation scheduled for next year. Thermal aficionados can already rejoice, they will be spoiled for choice since the city car will still have combustion engines under the hood.