New Clio and ZOE Scoop RTL/Auto Plus Grand Prix Awards at Paris Motor Show

PARIS – Oct 15, 2012: New Clio has been voted ‘Best Production car’ and ZOE ‘Best Green Car’ of the 2012 Paris Motor Show by listeners of French radio station RTL and readers of the magazine AUTO PLUS.

New Clio and ZOE were both chosen from a shortlist of around 10 cars selected by journalists from RTL and AUTO PLUS.

“These awards recognise the renewal process that the Renault range has undergone,” notes Carlos Tavares, Renault’s Chief Operating Officer. “They also mirror the outstanding welcome these two sensuous and innovative models have received from the public.”

New Clio claimed a third of the votes cast in the “Best Production Car at the Paris Motor Show” class and the award confirms the newcomer’s status as a worthy new chapter in the Clio story, which has seen sales of the model exceed 12 million since 1990. By building on Clio’s existing qualities, New Clio places the emphasis on sensuality and adds a note of emotion to its sound fundamentals. Along with ZOE, New Renault Clio incarnates Renault’s design renewal which is founded on simple, sensuous, warm styling. The fourth-generation Clio is packed with exciting technologies, including a choice of multimedia solutions.

In terms of its fuel consumption credentials and CO2 emissions, the version of New Clio powered by the Energy dCi 90 engine has established a new record for its class with scores of just 3.2 litres/100km and 83g/km respectively. Safety, too, is dialled into New Clio’s genes. In addition to the widely acclaimed quality of its chassis, it secured the best rating in its segment in three of the four criteria taken into account for the EuroNCAP crash test ratings.

Meanwhile, Renault ZOE claimed 51 percent of the votes in the ‘Best Green Car of the 2012 Paris Motor Show’, a sign that the public sees Renault ZOE as a real car which combines attractive lines and innovative technologies with extreme respect for the environment.

Thanks to ZOE, Renault has put zero-emission mobility within reach of ordinary motorists. It is the first car to have been designed from the ground up and ZOE incorporates a raft of advanced technologies, including six world premieres that have been developed to be easy to use, extend range and optimise connectivity. For the first time, all the ingredients are in place for the mass development of electric cars to take off. ZOE’s launch marks the beginning of a new era of electric mobility for all.

The six world firsts introduced by Renault ZOE:

The world’s first mass market electric vehicle with a tax-paid price tag (in France) starting from €13,700.

The world’s first mass market electric vehicle with an NEDC-cycle homologated range of 210km..

The first vehicle to be equipped as standard with ‘Range OptimiZEr’, a system designed to optimise real-world range under all driving conditions. In built-up areas, for example, customers can expect a real-world range of between 100km and 150km depending on their driving style and the prevailing weather conditions.

Thanks to its Caméléon battery charger, ZOE is the first electric vehicle that can be fully charged in between 30 minutes and nine hours depending on the power available at the charging station (between 3kW and 43kW), using a single type of connector for the car.

The first electric vehicle to enable the massive roll-out of fast charging stations which are easier to use and up to four times more economical for local authorities.

The first Renault vehicle to be equipped as standard with Renault R-Link, an integrated, connected multimedia tablet.