Locked in: New Renault Clio and Captur here in 2022

With the launch of the Kiger this week, Renault South Africa has confirmed availability from early next year of the long delayed all-new Clio and Captur.

Initially planned for market release last year, a move ultimately tarnished by the coronavirus, the automaker’s managing director for South Africa, Jaco Oosthuizen, before the unveiling the Kiger, confirmed that a decision had been taken to launch the pair in 2022 rather than in the fourth quarter of this year as alluded to in the brand’s product line-up tabled in April.

Likely as a result of the global semi-conductor crisis, the Clio, which debuted two years ago at the Geneva Motor Show, will touch down first in February with power likely to come from the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine also used by alliance partner Nissan in the Micra.

Producing 74kW/160Nm in Europe, the three-pot could be joined by the four-cylinder 1.3-litre turbo co-developed with Daimler, which delivers 96kW/240Nm. On the transmission front, the former comes paired to a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT, while the latter is mated as standard to a seven-speed EDC.

Unlikely to be offered are the normally aspirated 1.0-litre units rated at 48 kW and 55 kW, the 1.5 Blue dCi turbodiesel that punches out 63kW/220Nm and 85kW/260Nm, and the innovative E-Tech hybrid that combines a brand-new normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 1.2-kWh electric motor for a total system output of 103 kW.

ALSO READ: Renault Kiger leaps into impressive action

Also revealed in 2019, the Captur, which rides on the same CMF-B platform as the Clio, is expected to arrive before the second quarter with a final date still to be confirmed.

Like the Clio, only petrol engines are likely to be offered, which in Europe currently consists of the mentioned 1.0-litre turbo and the 1.3 in two states of tune; 96kW/240Nm and 115kW/270Nm.

An outside option, based on its availability in the previous generation model, is the 1.5 Blue dCi that produces either 70kW/240Nm or 85kW/260Nm in Europe. The mentioned hybrid and the plug-in hybrid, which retains the 1.6-litre engine paired to a 9.8-kWh battery pack for a total output of 118 kW, are both unlikely to be offered.

Expect more details about both models to potentially be revealed before the end of the year.