Renault brought the second generation of the Symbol/Thalia in 2008 for the emerging markets and improved its safety and powertrains.
Renault chose the Moscow Motor Show to unveil the second generation of the Renault Symbol, also known as Thalia, in specific countries. Unlike its predecessor, it dropped the “Clio” badge from its name and remained as a distinct range in the French manufacturer’s lineup. It was entirely based on Clio’s second generation and benefited from a few upgrades regarding the powertrains.

The Symbol II appeared as a composed three-box sedan and lost its bad image as a Clio with a backpack. Renault’s designers worked hard to integrate the trunk into the car’s general look. At the front, they installed big, swept-back headlights and a slatted grille. Up to the B-pillar, it might resemble its hatchback cousin, but from there to the back, it was different. The raked-forward D-pillar and the window behind the rear doors made a huge difference.

Inside, the designers tried and succeeded to make the interior as nice as possible for its price range. The two-tone dashboard and the scooped display for the on-board computer placed on top of the dash looked similar to those from other, more expensive, Renaults. On the plus side, Renault bragged about the 505 liters (17.8 cu-ft) trunk size, which was bigger than most of the compact-sized vehicles and definitely better than its direct competitors from the small-segment.

Renault installed more safety features on the Symbol to pass the Euro5 norms and improved the engine range, and started with the 1.2-liter, 75 hp unit. On selected markets, such as the Russian, Renault offered the Symbol with a 1.6-liter engine paired to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.