Renault Symbol in Context
The Renault Symbol in context is a car built for regions such as Turkey, Eastern Europe, North Africa and Latin America, where small saloons remained popular long after Western European buyers had switched to hatchbacks. In several of those markets it was sold under the Clio name with a Sedan or Classic suffix, so the Symbol badge and the Clio badge can refer to the same car depending on where it was registered. Mechanically the Symbol shared its platform, engines and interior with the contemporary Clio, which keeps parts supply straightforward and means most Clio maintenance knowledge transfers directly. Within Renault Symbol generations this first car is the closest to its hatchback origin.
Understanding 1 generation
The only body style in this generation is the four-door sedan, so the topic of Renault Symbol body styles is really about how the Clio's front structure was joined to a longer rear section with a conventional boot. That extension gave families a lockable, separate luggage compartment and a more formal appearance, which was the whole reason for the car. Production of this generation ended in 2002, after which a restyled version arrived, so cars from 1999 to 2002 are identified by the early Clio II front end and the original tail treatment. The page has no modification table yet, so engine variants and dimensions for a given Symbol should be checked against the specific version rather than assumed from the Clio range.