Renault Clio Facts for Kids

The Renault Clio is a small car, also known as a supermini, made by the French company Renault. It has been around since 1990 and was designed to replace an older car called the Renault 5. The Clio was made to compete with other popular small cars in Europe, like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.

There have been four main versions, or generations, of the Renault Clio over the years. Each new generation brought fresh designs and updated features.

First Generation: Clio I (1990-1998)
Second Generation: Clio II (1998-2012)
Third Generation: Clio III (2005-2012)
Fourth Generation: Clio IV (2012-Present)
Safety Information
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First Generation: Clio I (1990-1998)

The first Clio, from 1990

The very first Renault Clio was made from 1990 to 1998. Its look was updated a couple of times during these years. This car was about 3.7 meters long, 1.67 meters wide, and 1.41 meters high.

A big achievement for the Clio I was being named European Car of the Year in 1991. When it first came out, it was a bit cheaper than many of its rivals, but its inside was quite simple. The older Renault 5 car was still sold until 1996 as a cheaper choice, called the 'Renault 5 Campus'.

In 1992, a sportier version was released, known as the 'Clio Williams'. This car had a powerful 2.0-liter petrol engine and was made to compete with other fast small cars, often called 'hot hatches'. The Clio I sold very well across Europe, and it helped Renault become more popular in the United Kingdom.

Second Generation: Clio II (1998-2012)

The second generation Clio

Inside the Clio II

The second version of the Clio was produced for a long time, from 1998 until 2012. Its design was updated three times: in 2001, 2006, and 2009. The updates from 2006 and 2009 were called the 'Renault Clio Campus' and were sold alongside the newer Clio III.

The Clio II had a much more rounded design compared to the first, more 'square' Clio. Renault also fixed some problems from the first model. For example, the front parts of the car (called wings) were made of plastic to stop them from getting corrosion (rust).

In 1999, the Renault Sport or Clio RS was launched. This was a new 'hot-hatch' version, taking over from the Clio Williams. It was based entirely on the Clio II. A version of the Clio II with a separate boot, known as a saloon, was sold in South America and Eastern Europe, but not in Western Europe.

Third Generation: Clio III (2005-2012)

The third generation Clio

The third generation of the Clio started being made in 2005. In 2007, a station wagon version, called the Clio Sportourer, was also launched. The design of the Clio III was updated in 2009.

A great feature of the Clio III was its safety. It earned a 5-star safety rating from NCAP, which tests how safe cars are in crashes. This meant it was one of the safest cars in Renault's range at the time. This model was replaced by the Clio IV in late 2012.

Fourth Generation: Clio IV (2012-Present)

The fourth generation Clio

The fourth generation of the Clio arrived in late 2012. Unlike previous versions, it no longer came as a 3-door car. Instead, it was available as a 5-door model and a station wagon. However, the wagon version was not sold in the UK.

Safety Information

Some safety concerns were raised about the Clio II. For example, the BBC consumer show Watchdog reported that the bonnet (the front hood of the car) could sometimes open while driving. Renault recalled some of these cars to fix the problem. There were also reports of the hazard warning lights turning on by themselves and not being able to be switched off.