Renault Clio

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At a glance

Who is this car for?

Two travellers with cabin bags doing Kotor Bay, Budva, maybe a day trip to Perast. The workhorse of the Montenegrin rental fleet.

• First-time visitors
• Couples
• Short coastal stays

The Renault Clio on Montenegro roads

Behind the wheel

The Clio V is the sensible default of the Montenegro rental fleet and it knows it. The 1.0 TCe 100 hp triple is the common petrol choice — a little thrummy at idle, quieter than you expect above 2,500 rpm, and paired most often with a five-speed manual that is long-throw but honest. The 1.5 Blue dCi 85 diesel turns up in older stock and suits longer distances better; it is slower to rev but pulls from 1,500 rpm without complaint. The cabin is the nicest in this size bracket — soft-touch top roll, a portrait screen that actually responds — and the driving position is low-slung rather than hatch-upright. It drives like a car half a size bigger than the 4,050 mm outside suggests.

On Montenegro roads

On Montenegro roads the Clio is the car nobody regrets. The 25 hairpins up from Kotor to Lovćen are dispatched in second and third gear without the chassis ever protesting; the nose goes where you point it and the brakes have good initial bite after the first 50 km of bedding in. The Tivat–Ulcinj coastal run is its comfort zone — the suspension absorbs the broken-edge tarmac around Sutomore better than a Polo does, and crosswinds on the Sozina straight do not push it about. The weak point is sustained mountain climbing on the Piva canyon or the Morača up to Kolašin: the little petrol works audibly for long 8% gradients, and the diesel is the better choice if your route lives above 800 m.

Space and load

The 391-litre boot is a genuine class best and the square shape matters more than the number. Two medium hard-shell cases and a couple of duffel bags fit without rearranging; fold the rear bench and a week of beach kit for Velika Plaža — parasol, two sun loungers, cool-bag, snorkel sets — travels without the back seats getting buried. It will not take a family-of-four-with-pram load the way an Octavia would, but for two adults plus occasional rear passengers it handles most realistic Montenegro packing lists. Hiking kit for two heading to Durmitor — 40-litre packs, boots, poles, shell jackets — leaves space for a day-bag on top.

Best journeys for this car

The Clio suits the broadest range of Montenegro trips on this list. A couple doing a seven-day loop Kotor–Budva–Ulcinj–Podgorica–Tivat, a solo traveller based in Herceg Novi and driving out to Perast and Risan most days, a pair of friends on a cruise shore excursion wanting something easier to park than a saloon. It also makes a defensible cross-border car for a single-day Dubrovnik run or a weekend to Mostar. It is less compelling if you are four adults with full luggage or if your week is weighted toward the high Durmitor peaks — the diesel helps, but an Octavia or Megane gives more.

Practical notes

Petrol consumption settles near 5.8 L/100 km in mixed driving and the diesel returns closer to 4.5; either way the 42-litre tank delivers real range and refills are straightforward with stations every 40 km along the coast. Parking is friendly at 4.05 m — Kotor bastion-gate bays, the Budva pedestrian-zone perimeter and the stepped terraces of Herceg Novi all accept it without drama. Front-wheel drive on all-season rubber handles coastal winter easily; for Žabljak or Kolašin between November and March you will want chains in the boot, legally required on several mountain passes regardless. Summer AC is strong for the class and cools the small cabin quickly even with three on board.

The verdict

Pick the Clio if you want a car that gets out of the way and lets the trip happen. Skip it only if you specifically need more boot, more height, or the diesel torque of the next size up.

Full specification

Inside the car

• Bluetooth Audio
• USB Charging
• Central Locking
• Touchscreen Display