Renault forced into U-turn on expensive hybrids by bringing back petrol Clio models
Renault will be bringing back petrol versions of the Clio
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Renault has announced a U-turn on its pledge to phase out a petrol version of one of its most popular models to make them more affordable for motorists.
The brand had previously announced that the Clio would be released purely as a hybrid, having discontinued cheaper petrol models.
However, Renault has now confirmed that it will offer a petrol version of the vehicle to make it more affordable and appeal to drivers.
It confirmed that it was “committed to becoming fully electrified in the UK” and will still offer its 143bhp 1.6-litre Clio E-Tech hybrid.
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In a statement, the French firm highlighted how it wanted to meet the needs of customers who are dealing with a “difficult economic climate”.
As a result of the ongoing cost of living crisis, Renault will be offering the new Clio as a hybrid and as a 90bhp petrol engine.
According to PA, the one-litre petrol engine and manual gearbox will allow the Clio to accelerate from zero to 60mph in 12 seconds.
The petrol model will see the price drop down to £17,795, making it £3,500 cheaper than the hybrid Clio model.
With the new petrol Clio, Renault will now offer a cheaper price than rivals like the Vauxhall Corsa, Skoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza.
A partnership between Renault and Nissan has seen more than £3.3billion invested into electric vehicles since 2011.
Renault is not the only car brand that has been forced into a U-turn when considering hybrids and electrics.
Citroen and Jeep have both confirmed the launch of petrol versions of vehicles which were originally intended to be electric only in the UK.
In 2021, both Renault and Dacia suggested that the European ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars should be moved from 2035 to 2040.
The brands stated that some form of combustion engine should be kept for a longer period of time to allow drivers to still afford new vehicles.
Under the Renault Group umbrella, it is forecast that Renault will be 90 per cent fully electric by 2030 and 100 per cent for Alpine.
However, Gilles Le Borgne, CTO of Renault Group, said: “But for Dacia, it will be in the range of 10 per cent BEV, but we will have a lot of hybrid, because our strategy is simple, we build Dacia only on the CMF-B (Common Module Family) platform.
“We can bring all of the technologies from Renault to Dacia no problem. We are doing that already; look at the Sandero.
“But of course, because of the cost of the car, we will wait until it’s absolutely necessary to do it. For Dacia, it will be a nice and gentle move.
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More than 16 million Clio models have been sold worldwide
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“We will keep petrol and LPG, then we’ll move to mild hybrid (48 volt) and hybrid, then to full electric.”