New Renault Clio Comes with Six Different Engine Sounds

The new car has been given gifts from every department: it's lost 220 pounds, its design showcases the French marque's new corporate identity, under the hood it gets new engines (including the company's first three-cylinder), a dual-clutch transmission, and infotainment moves on a step with the customizable R-Link touchscreen system and R-Link app store.

This Clio will only come as a five-door hatch, but it offers a serious amount of personalization options inside and out to separate each car from what will likely be a very large herd. In addition to the contrasting colors available on everything from the grille insert to the steering wheel, the R-Link home screen can be arranged according to user preference, and the app R-Link ecosystem is being encouraged by Renault's appeals to developer talent and startups. There's also the slightly gimmicky R-Sound Effect, which can pipe "six different engine sound profiles" into the cabin when you tire of the natural, small-displacement exhaust note.

More substantive developments are found under the hood, in the form of an available three-cylinder turbocharged, 0.9-liter TCe 90 gas engine with 90 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. Other engine choices include a 1.2-liter TCe 120 gas with 120 horsepower and the 1.5-liter dCi 90 diesel with 90 hp and 162 lb-ft. The latter two powerplants will be paired with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The new Renault Clio will go on sale early next year. Before then we'll see it at the Paris Auto Salon in September.