Which Renault Clio trim depreciates fastest?

By Stuart Johnston

Renault’s current Clio range sparked the revival for this well-loved French marque in South Africa, and set the stage for Renault to become a volume seller here after later adding low-cost entry models. But which Clio trim depreciates fastest?

Renault’s Clio reinvented itself with the so-called Clio IV range, introduced here in 2013. Small capacity turbocharged engines were key, and the current Clio range consists of five models of which three use the diminutive three-cylinder 898 cc turbo-petrol engine. Next up is the 88 kW 1,2-litre four-cylinder engine, while the range-topping Clio RS 18F1 model uses a 1,6-litre engine boosted to 162 kW.

Trim levels

The entry models are listed as the 66 kW models, although with the Clio IV re-vamp in late 2016 these entry engines were actually upgraded to 70 kW and 140 Nm of torque. The so-called 66 kW models are specced in entry-level  Authentique trim, Dynamique trim and Expression trim.

The 88kW model is known as the Expression, although prior to 2019 there was an additional 88 kW model called the GT-Line.

Specialised models include the discontinued RS200 Lux, the RS200 Trophy and the RS220 Trophy (these two have also been discontinued). The current specialised motorsport-orientated model is the RS 18 F1.

Click here to read about the Top 5 Clio articles on AutoTrader.

What governs depreciation?

In general terms, regarding car depreciation, the best-selling cars depreciate the slowest, with the slower sellers depreciating more quickly. There are some exceptions to this rule, but basically supply and demand are closely linked.

In the case of the Clio IV, the best-selling trim by far is also the least expensive model, the 66 kW Authentique.  No surprises here, in our cash-strapped current economy!

The Authentique is by far the top-selling Clio

Over a two-and a quarter-year period from 2017 to 2019, the 66 kW Authentique garnered 40 per cent of all Clio sales in South Africa. Next best was the 66 kW Dynamique at 27 per cent, followed by the 66 kW Expression at 12,1 per cent.

Next up was the 88 kW Turbo Expression at 11,2 per cent, then the recently discontinued 88 kW GT-Line (7,2 per cent) while the specialised models combined garnered only 1,7 per cent of sales between them.

Prices for used Clios on AutoTrader reflect this, with some 400 of the various 66 kW models listed, compared to just 20 of the 88kW models. The other models are listed in single digits.

To peruse well over 400 Clio new and pre-owned models on AutoTrader, click here.

So which model depreciates fastest?

In general terms, the fastest depreciation rate should belong to cars like the RS 200, but their collectability because of small numbers allied to a motorsport association actually counts in their favour. In this case, in terms of the more conventional cars in the current range, the cheapest Authentique model will depreciate slowest, at the rate of about 17 per cent since mid-2018.

 The 88 kW Expression will be saddled with the fastest depreciation rate, as this model is appreciably more expensive new ( currently at R283 900 versus the R223 900 of the Authentique).

But it should also be pointed out that the difference of depreciation  between various Clio models won’t be huge, and it should also be pointed out here that used car prices take into account a whole raft of factors, the main ones being model year and mileage. Condition and optional or aftermarket equipment also play a significant factor.