Renault has given us the full details of the new Clio E-Tech Hybrid, and the Captur E-Tech plug-in hybrid. The Clio hybrid in particular is a significant model as it'll be the first serious rival to the long-serving Toyota Yaris Hybrid in the supermini segment.
F1-inspired twin electric motor setup
It's also the first proper hybrid model that Renault has ever sold. The hybrid system is unique, in that it uses two electric motors, connected by what Renault describes as "an F1-inspired clutchless automatic transmission." Petrol power comes from a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, and for the combined system Renault quotes 140hp. The petrol engine develops 144Nm of torque while the primary electric motor can chime in with a much more muscular 205Nm. The second electric motor, which Renault calls the HSG, or High-Voltage Starter Generator, can itself kick in with an extra 50Nm of torque. Sadly this doesn't mean a Clio with a total of 399Nm of torque (you can't just add up the total outputs and combined them) but we suspect that performance nevertheless might be quite muscular.
Indeed, Renault quotes a brisk 80-120km/h time of 6.9 seconds, while the 0-100km/h time is a reasonable 9.9 seconds. More importantly, the CO2 emissions are quoted at 98g/km, and the combined fuel economy is 4.4 litres per 100km (64.2mpg). Renault says that the Clio Hybrid can run in electric-only mode at speeds of up to 61km/h, but doesn't say for how long, and nor yet does it tell us for how much of an average journey the car can run on electric power.
The E-Tech twin electric motor system is pretty clever, though. The beefy HSG means that the Clio E-Tech Hybrid can always start up in electric-only mode, and only calls on the 1.6 engine when it needs to. Renault says that, as well as the clutchless connection between the electric motors, the kinetic energy recovery under braking, which charges up the battery pack, is also inspired by its Formula One car's KERS regenerative braking system.
Irish prices and specs still TBC
There will be a special 'Launch Edition' Clio Hybrid which will come with blue metallic detailing on the grille and other trims, and 17-inch diamond-cut alloys.
While Irish trims and prices are still TBC, the Clio Hybrid does include blue interior highlights (including contrast stitching on leather parts) and a seven-inch TFT 'Smart Cockpit' digital instrument panel.
Just as the Clio is Renault's first hybrid model, so the Captur E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid is the company's first plugin model. Essentially, the Captur's mechanical layout is the same as that of the Clio - the same 1.6-litre engine, the same twin electric motors - but the battery is bigger at 9.8kWh, and can of course be plugged in and charged up so that you can cover longer distances at higher speeds on just electric power.
Captur E-Tech will go 51km on the batteries
The Captur's total power output is 160hp, and Renault claims that it has an electric-only range of 51km on a fully-charged battery. Claimed fuel economy is 1.5 litres per 100km (that's 188mpg) and CO2 emissions are just 33g/km. In pure electric mode, the Captur E-Tech's top speed is 135km/h, and it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 10.1 seconds.
As with most plug-in hybrids, the Captur's 'Multi-Sense' driving modes allow you to choose between a 'Pure' mode that juggles electric and petrol power for the best economy, a Sport mode and an 'E-Save' mode that tops up the battery as you drive, saving the electric power for later urban use.
For now, the plug-in hybrid E-Tech Captur will only come in range-topping S-Edition trim, and a special Launch Edition. Standard kit includes digital instruments and a 10-3-inch touchscreen. The addition of the larger battery pack has reduced boot space a little, falling to 379 litres. The battery can be charged from flat to full in around three hours with a 7.4kWh home-charging wallbox.