The Renault Clio is selling very well but because of the small boot area the Modus is doing poorly in the sales charts.

Now it is back to the drawing board and a bigger version of the mini MPV is on the cards.

Across the continent, the Modus has been a big flop with sales well below expectations. This was largely responsible for the company's 8.7% sales drop throughout Europe last year.

"The Modus is handicapped by its short size, " Jacques Chauvet, head of Renault sales in Europe has admitted.

He said that the new longer Modus with a bigger boot will arrive in the autumn.

It is expected that it will have much the same inside space as the sister product, the Nissan Note, which is selling well.

Renault had banked on the Modus repeating the same success as the Scenic, which is a top seller, but there has been a reluctance by punters to part with their money at the price it was pitched at.