Training to help sell personalisation options for the first time will be undertaken by Renault dealers. The fashion for lifestyle extras is new to the brand and will debut on the fourth generation Clio.

The new supermini will appear at September’s Paris Motor Show. Available only as a five-door car and with no estate this time, order books will open in October ahead of a showroom launch early next year.

Benoit Bochard, Renault’s A/B segment product director, explained: “Personalisation is part of our everyday life; when you buy an iPhone you buy a cover. It’s available only on exclusive three-door sporty models like Fiat 500 and Citroen DS3 and MINI. We wanted to offer it on a mainstream supermini but we will need to teach dealers about it and provide them with tools to visualise customisation.”

The Clio will come with a variety of interior and alloy wheel colours and design packs, plus exterior decals. However, Bochard said retailers will only have the opportunity to assist customers in choosing what they want on the order form, rather than sell the extras aftermarket or alter cars they might eventually take in for part-exchange. He confirmed everything will be factory-fitted to maintain quality craftsmanship.

Bochard also said dealers will need to learn about the R-Link infotainment system, which also debuts on the Clio IV. The touch-screen system includes an optional built-in data connection with access to a smartphone-style ‘app store’, where customers can buy pre-approved apps such as the weather forecast or live airport arrival times.

“Also it’s not often we launch a brand new car with brand new engines, so we will have an extensive learning programme for three-cylinder gasoline engines and the new generation of dCi 75 and 90bhp diesels. Dealers have to learn about all this,” added Bochard.