Renault continued the Clio saga and introduced the fourth generation of this small-sized vehicle at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. While the five-door version was the first to hit the showroom floors, the station wagon, named Estate by the French carmaker, followed in 2013.
The Estate version was not always present in the lineup, but since the carmaker's design department managed to pen it like it was more of a hatchback, it succeeded.
There was a new, fresh front fascia that showed a pair of swept-back headlights connected via a chromed slat that crossed the hood. From its sides, the car shared the same body panels with the five-door hatchback version, but the rear doors were slightly modified and featured a door handle masked into the C-pillar. Behind it, a narrow third window ended the cabin into the raked-forward D-pillar. Depending on the trim level, that one was blackened.
Inside, the carmaker stated that it was room for five, although the narrow vehicle didn't provide too much shoulder or elbow room for those seated in the back. But the split-folding rear bench expanded the trunk enough to be used when moving out from the parents or coming back from the college. At the front, the carmaker installed two bucket seats trimmed in fabric, while the rounded dashboard was available in various colors, depending on the customers' options. The floating center stack design that supported the infotainment unit offered a minimalist design.
Under the hood, Renault installed a range of gasoline or turbo-diesel engines paired with either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, depending on the powerplant.
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