Renault offers up new Clio

Renault is to launch a revamped version of its small Clio car range at the start of next year.

Europe's fourth biggest carmaker, which is currently rolling out new versions of its popular Megane family, said the first versions of the new range would go on sale on the Continent in January.

Renault said the current version of the compact car had sold 3.8 million units since its launch in 1998, but did not give sales forecasts for its successor.

Clio sales in Ireland for the first nine months of the year were down from 2,433 in 2002 to 1,835 this year, coming in eighth position in the small car market dominated by the Nissan Micra.