Renault Clio

	With the rear seats in place, there’s a useful 439-litre load space – up from 252 litres in the regular hatchback

We drove the concept last week, and now here are the first official pictures of the production version of Renault’s new Clio estate – the Sport Tourer.

After debuting at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the car will hit the road early next year. And when it does, it will go head-to-head with rivals such as the Peugeot 207 SW and Skoda Fabia Estate.

The production model has some striking differences to the Clio Grand Tour show car which debuted at Geneva in March and was tested last week.

It has been toned down with a more practical five-door configuration and less sporty front end. Despite these changes, the Sport Tourer’s tapered roofline and angled rear windscreen make it a stylish addition to the range. At 4.1 metres long, the estate is only 21cm bigger than the three and five-door variants, but it has a larger boot. With the rear seats in place, there’s a useful 439-litre load space – up from 252 litres in the regular hatchback.

Flat-folding rear chairs boost carrying space further, while roof rails also add to the Clio’s load-lugging credentials. Engines will be shared with the existing line-up, including the all-new 1.2-litre turbo driven in this issue. Buyers will also be able to choose from the French firm’s economical dCi diesel powerplants.

Prices have yet to be confirmed, but the Clio Sport Tourer is likely to cost around £700 more than the five-door.