Renault introduced a facelifted version for its small-segment contender Clio in 2009, and, as part of the range, the three-door version was upgraded as well.
While other carmakers tried to lure their customers with high-spec (and pricy) vehicles, Renault worked the other way: affordable cars. In 2009 it had to improve the entire lineup due to the stricter Euro 5 emission standards, which required specific safety features. The French carmaker, on the other hand, was already known for its safe vehicles. The three-door Clio was a good choice for young people and, interestingly, delivery companies.

In the three-door version, the Clio still looked fancy with its swept-back headlights on the upper side of the front fenders. A newly designed front bumper sported a wider, black grille on the lower side, which improved the engine’s cooling since there was virtually no other grille above. From its sides, the long doors ensured an easy ingress and egress from the car, especially for the front-seat occupants. Strangely though, the pop-out rear windows were not available anymore. Fortunately, the AC unit was standard on most versions.

Inside, Renault was more focused on comfort than on driving experience. It installed comfortable seats at the front without too much bolstering on the sides. At the back, a split-folding bench was good enough to host two adult-sized passengers or three kids.

Under the hood, apart from the special RS version, the carmaker offered economical engines. The least expensive version was the gasoline-powered 1.2-liter unit, while the most fuel-efficient was the 1.5-liter turbodiesel version. Due to poor sales, the 2.0-liter, 140 hp four-mill from the non-facelifted version was axed from the lineup.