The Clio is sold as the Renault Lutecia (ルノー ルーテシア Runō Rūteshia) in Japan because Honda retains the rights to the name Clio after establishing the Honda Clio sales channel in 1984. Lutecia is derived from the word Lutetia, a former Roman city that is now known as Paris. The Renault Lutecia was formerly available through Yanase Co., Ltd., but in 1999 Renault purchased a stake in Japanese automaker Nissan. Following Renault's takeover, distribution rights for the Lutecia were handed over to Nissan locations in 2000.