Renault Clio vs Volkswagen Polo
Renault Clio
Renault’s popular compact city car.
VS
Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen’s supermini.
First car
Second car
Pick this one if…
Renault Clio
Pick the Clio for an affordable, efficient and agile city car with a large used supply.
Best engine: The 1.0 TCe (petrol) or 1.5 Blue dCi (diesel) — or the E-Tech hybrid for town.
Read the full guide
Pick this one if…
Volkswagen Polo
Pick the Polo for a mature, thrifty supermini with low running costs and solid build quality.
Best engine: The 1.0 TSI (95/110 hp).
Read the full guide
Performance
1.0 TCe 100 · Petrol vs 1.0 TSI 110 · Petrol
| Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo | |
|---|---|---|
| Power |
100 hp
|
110 hp
Winner
|
| Torque |
160 Nm
|
200 Nm
Winner
|
| 0–100 km/h |
11,8 s
|
10,0 s
Winner
|
| Top speed |
187 km/h
|
196 km/h
Winner
|
| Power-to-weight |
91,7 hp/t
|
97,3 hp/t
Winner
|
| CO₂ emissions (WLTP) |
112 g/km
Winner
|
113 g/km
|
| Consumption (WLTP) |
5,0 L/100km
|
5,0 L/100km
|
Dimensions & space
| Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo | |
|---|---|---|
| Boot |
391 L
Winner
|
351 L
|
| Boot (seats folded) |
1.069 L
|
1.125 L
Winner
|
| Wheelbase |
2,59 m
Winner
|
2,55 m
|
| Length |
4,05 m
|
4,07 m
|
| Width |
1,80 m
|
1,75 m
|
| Height |
1,44 m
|
1,45 m
|
| Seats |
5
|
5
|
Powertrain & tech
| Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | B (MK4) · CMF-B (MK5) | PQ25 (6R) · MQB A0 (AW) |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Engine family | 0.9 TCe · 1.2 TCe · 1.0 TCe · 1.3 TCe · 1.5 dCi/Blue dCi · E-Tech Hybrid | EA111/EA211/EA211 Evo petrol · EA888 (GTI) · EA189/EA288 diesel |
| Fuel | Petrol · Diesel · Hybrid | Petrol · Diesel |
| Transmission | 5/6-speed manual · EDC6/EDC7 · X-tronic CVT · E-Tech automatic | 5/6-speed manual · 7-speed DSG |
| Euro standard | Euro 5/6 (MK4) · Euro 6/6d (MK5) | Euro 5 (early) · Euro 6/6d (later) |
| LEZ access | Euro 6/6d (post-2016/2019) allowed; early MK4 (Euro 5) restricted | Euro 6 petrol/diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent) |
Reliability & watch-outs
Known issues
Renault Clio
- 1.2 TCe (MK4): timing chain and oil consumption
- EDC automatic: juddery at low speed
- Electrical gremlins (battery drain, MediaNav/R-Link)
Volkswagen Polo
- DQ200 DSG shift quality (dry clutch)
- EA111 chain on early 6R TSI (pre-2014)
- Timing belt + water pump (EA211)
Pros
Renault Clio
- Smooth, efficient engines (1.0 TCe and E-Tech)
- Compact, agile and affordable
- Large used supply
Volkswagen Polo
- Compact, agile and easy to park
- Low running costs and insurance
- Solid build quality and residuals
Cons
Renault Clio
- Tight rear seat and boot (MK4)
- Base trims are sparsely equipped
Volkswagen Polo
- Tight rear bench on long trips (three adults)
- Base trims are sparsely equipped
Compare specific generations
Belgian taxes & LEZ
Region
Fuel
Euro norm
First registration
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For sale at dealers
Renault Clio
26 for sale · from € 3.990
Renault Clio 1.0 TCe · Camera · CarPlay · Navigation
€ 16.990
Garage Carrera Cars
Garage Carrera Cars
Renault Clio 1.0 TCe · Camera · CarPlay · Navigation
€ 15.490
Garage Carrera Cars
Garage Carrera Cars
Renault Clio 1.2 TCE · CarPlay · LED · Adaptive cruise control
€ 21.990
idCAR
idCAR
Renault Clio 1.2 TCE · Camera · Navigation · LED
€ 22.990
idCAR
idCAR
Volkswagen Polo
45 for sale · from € 1.150
Volkswagen Polo R-Line · CarPlay · LED · Leather
€ 11.990
Garage Carrera Cars
Garage Carrera Cars
Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI · R-Line · Camera · CarPlay · LED
€ 23.750
Garage Carrera Cars
Garage Carrera Cars
Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI · CarPlay · LED · Leather
€ 15.690
idCAR
idCAR
Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI · Camera · CarPlay · LED
€ 19.490
click2move by Declerc
click2move by Declerc
