Renault Clio TCe 90 review

Make and model: Renault Clio TCe 90
Description: Small pure petrol hatchback
Price range: from £18,395 to £21,595

Renault says: “The Clio has undergone a reinvention for the modern world, becoming a perfect illustration of Renault’s New Wave, brimming with its latest breakthroughs.”

We say: Renault hasn’t made any broad sweeping changes to its compact Clio, but then again it didn’t need to. This latest iteration of the small hatchback builds on the strengths of its predecessors, now offering even more value-for-money and one of the best driving experiences in the small car class.

• Renault Clio (2019 onwards) – Expert Rating
• More Renault reviews, ratings, news and features

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Introduction

If you have been in the market for a new small hatchback in the past, chances are you will have had a Renault Clio on your shortlist.

First arriving back in the UK in 1990, the original Clio hatchback proved to be a critical sales success for French brand Renault, and its still going strong five generations later, this latest version grossing well over a million sales in the UK to date.

Renault’s answer to the Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris, this five-door hatchback is a class leader in our Expert Rating index – currently holding a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 73%.

The Clio also ranks well as a used car – with a Used Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 78% – and has outlived highly-regarded supermini rivals like the popular Ford Fiesta as the car industry slowly begins to phase out its petrol models in favour of new all-electric alternatives.

What is the Renault Clio TCe 90?

Facelifted back in the summer of 2023, the Clio range currently consists of a pure petrol model – the ‘TCe 90’ – and a more expensive petrol-electric hybrid version called the ‘E-Tech 145’. This review will focus on the former.

The Clio TCe 90 is currently Renault’s cheapest showroom car, and is available in three different trim guises, from the entry-level ‘Evolution’ to the top-spec ‘esprit Alpine’. Aimed at buyers at the budget end of the market looking for a family-friendly runaround that won’t break the bank, the Clio has received many plaudits and several awards since its 2019 launch.

The car’s 2023 mid-life refresh introduced cosmetic tweaks that mirror the exterior looks of the newer electric Mégane E-Tech, as well as an expanded equipment list for entry-level ‘Evolution’ models.

There were plans to put the petrol engine out to pasture, Renault announcing in April last year that it would be scrapping petrol-only Clio models as part of this refresh. this no longer appears to be the case, and it looks like TCe 90 will be on sale for a while longer yet.

First impressions

The Renault Clio has a consistent track record of attracting buyers for its eye-catching exterior looks, and this latest iteration of the Clio doesn’t disappoint. Renault has given its smallest petrol car a bolder, more upmarket look with slimmer LED headlights, an enlarged chequered grille and integrated daytime running lights that combine to make the car a more interesting sight on UK roads.

Keyless entry comes as standard, the car unlocking when you come into its proximity, and once you have adjusted your seating position, it is easy to get your bearings and get going. Just push the stop/start button (with the clutch down if you opt for the manual) and off you go.

The infotainment screen that juts out of the centre of the dashboard has a crisp display and is complemented by dedicated buttons and dials that make shuffling through the display screens and changing the car’s climate control settings easy enough when on the move. That said, the media controls are tucked away behind the steering wheel, making it hard to see what you are pressing and requiring a bit of muscle memory to remember which button does what.

We like: Easy get-in-and-go driving experience
We don’t like: Fiddly media controls take some getting used to

What do you get for your money?

The Renault Clio line-up begins with the ‘Evolution’ trim, which has a pretty generous equipment list for a lead-in model. With pricing starting at around £18k, it includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail lights, automatic windscreen wipers, electronic folding wing mirrors, rear parking sensors and traffic sign recognition tech.

Inside, you get a synthetic leather steering wheel with a seven-inch digital instrument cluster behind it and a seven-inch central infotainment screen, which is wirelessly compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and comes with Renault’s built-in navigation software.

The mid-range £20k ‘Techno’ trim grade adds front parking sensors and a rear-view parking camera, as well as larger 17-inch alloys and tinted rear windows. Finally, the range-topping £22k ‘esprit Alpine’ comes with sportier seats with more side support, adaptive cruise control – replacing the standard cruise control tech – blind spot monitoring, and larger nine-inch infotainment and ten-inch instrument cluster displays.

We like: Generous standard equipment list when you consider the price tag
We don’t like: Only one pure petrol engine option

What’s the Renault Clio like inside?

The Clio’s front seats offer more comfort and support than you would usually find in the supermini class, and the driving position is excellent, giving you great forward visibility at busy junctions. That said, the narrow rear window limits rear visibility somewhat.

Considering this is a small car, there’s enough space in the front for most drivers to get comfortable, and the rear seating isn’t cramped either, with enough legroom to accommodate adults. Anyone over six feet sitting in the back will find their head very close to the roof lining, but you can’t expect much more headroom from a supermini.

The cabin is trimmed with plenty of upmarket soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and doors, giving the car’s interior a premium feel that rivals that of the Volkswagen Polo and Audi A1.

The infotainment screen is clear and relatively easy to navigate, and can be operated using the voice assistant button on the steering wheel. Arguably more important are the buttons for media volume, which are installed on stick mounted to the steering wheel column. These media controls work just fine when filtering through the radio stations available, but Android Auto and Apple CarPlay users will have to use the central screen more often as only the volume up/down buttons will work when using this software.

While the boot lip is a bit high, making you strain a bit more when lifting heavy luggage, the Clio’s 391-litre boot is the largest you’ll find in the supermini class. That’s around 40 litres more luggage space than the likes of the SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo can cater for.

We like: Upmarket fit and finish with comfortable seats that provide plenty of support
We don’t like: Narrow rear window reduces rear visibility

What’s under the bonnet?

The 90hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol unit under the bonnet is where the TCe 90 gets its name from, and is a fairly standard engine for the supermini class. It’s the same engine that powers the entry-level Dacia Sandero and can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 12.2 seconds, which isn’t necessarily slow when compared to other cars of this size and price.

Buyers can expect a fuel consumption of around 54mpg, which is a respectable fuel economy for a small car, but not as fuel efficient as the Clio hybrid, which has a fuel consumption of around 67mpg.

What’s the Renault Clio TCe 90 like to drive?

The Clio TCe 90 is nimble and rather fun to drive around town, without sacrificing much when to comes to comfort. The compact Renault handles short urban commutes with aplomb – its steering is accurate and inspires confidence, and the throttle is very responsive at lower speeds. That said, you may find yourself dropping a gear to overtake or tackle steep inclines at motorway speeds.

The brake pedal is quite sensitive, but it doesn’t take long to get used to, and there is some grumbling vibration as the Clio’s stop/start system jolts to life on startup and in slow moving traffic which is noticeable but not necessarily annoying.

The suspension does also produce some muffled noise when subjected to the deeper potholes that the UK’s road system throws at it, but the hatchback can handle rough tarmac with little fuss. Rivals like the Volkswagen Polo are indeed more comfortable, with suspension that absorbs more of a pothole’s impact, but the Renault doesn’t loose its composure, with tight body control that doesn’t throw out any unforeseen movements.

We like: Agile and nippy around town
We don’t like: Not as comfortable on rougher terrain as other supermini choices

How safe is the Renault Clio?

The Renault Clio was assessed by Euro NCAP back in May 2019 (pre-facelift) and was awarded a full five-star safety rating, with a particularly impressive scores of adult occupant safety and child occupant safety, Euro NCAP adding that the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system – which is designed to prevent accidents occurring in the first place – performed well in low speed tests.

It’s worth pointing out that Euro NCAP’s standards for a five-star rating have got tougher since the hatchback’s 2019 testing, so it’s hard to say whether the Clio would retain it’s five-star credentials if it were re-tested today.

This rating is due to expire in January 2026, which is normal practice for Euro NCAP (the ratings usually expire the January after the sixth anniversary of the initial publication).

Verdict

While there are other small hatchbacks that provide a slightly less taxing ride comfort, the Renault Clio isn’t uncomfortable by any means, and few other options in the supermini class provide this amount of interior quality for this price tag.

The Clio TCe 90 offers particular value-for-money, with an entry-level list price that is a couple of thousand pounds cheaper than a lead-in Volkswagen Polo or Mini Cooper model. That said, the SEAT Ibiza is slightly cheaper and, while it can’t match the Clio’s driving experience and quality, the Dacia Sandero is the class-leader when it comes to affordability.

Renault’s claim that its Clio is “brimming with the latest breakthroughs” is certainty a marketing stretch, but the TCE 90 hatchback has a generous entry-level equipment list, commendable safety credentials, a relatively spacious interior, and a nippy and responsive pure petrol engine – ingredients that combine to make the Clio a sensible compact family car choice.

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Renault Clio, you might also be interested in these alternatives

Audi A1 | Citroën C3 | Dacia Sandero | Ford Fiesta | Honda Jazz | Hyundai i20 | Kia Rio | Mazda 2 | MG 3 | Mini hatch | Mitsubishi Mirage | Nissan Micra | Peugeot 208 | SEAT Ibiza | Skoda Fabia | Suzuki Swift | Toyota Yaris | Vauxhall Corsa | Volkswagen Polo

• Renault Clio (2019 onwards) – Expert Rating
• More Renault reviews, ratings, news and features

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