Renault Clio

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At a glance

Who is the Renault Clio for?

Two travellers with cabin bags doing Budva, Sveti Stefan and a day trip to Kotor. The workhorse of the riviera rental fleet.

• First-time riviera visitors
• Couples
• Short coastal stays

The Renault Clio on Budva Riviera roads

Behind the wheel

The Clio V is the sensible default of the Budva rental fleet and it knows the job. The 1.0 TCe 100 hp triple is the common petrol spec — a little thrummy at idle, quieter than expected above 2,500 rpm, and usually paired with a long-throw but honest five-speed manual. The cabin is the nicest in this size class: soft-touch top roll, a portrait touchscreen that actually responds, and a low-slung driving position rather than hatch-upright. It drives like a car half a size bigger than the 4,050 mm length suggests. On the Budva seafront it feels settled; on the E80 to Bar it feels grown-up.

On Budva Riviera roads

On the riviera the Clio is the car nobody regrets. The coast road from Jaz through the Old Town ring and on to Bečići is dispatched in third and fourth without the chassis ever complaining; the nose points where you aim it and the brakes have strong initial bite. The 22 km Tivat Airport run is its comfort zone — the suspension absorbs the broken edges through Lastva Grbaljska better than a Polo does, and crosswinds on the Jaz headland do not push it about. The weak point is sustained inland climbing on the Cetinje road above Brajići: the little petrol works audibly on long 8% grades, and a diesel is the better pick if your week 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 duffels fit without rearranging; fold the rear bench and a week of kit for Buljarica — parasol, two loungers, cool-bag, snorkels — travels without the back seats getting buried. It will not take a family-of-four-with-pram load the way an SUV or Octavia would, but for two adults with occasional rear passengers it handles most realistic riviera packing lists. Hiking kit for two heading up to Lovćen — 40-litre packs, boots, poles, shells — leaves space for a day-bag on top.

Best journeys for this car

The Clio suits the broadest range of Budva trips on this list. A couple doing a seven-day loop Budva–Kotor–Sveti Stefan–Petrovac, a solo traveller based in Bečići and driving out to Rafailovići and Pržno most days, a pair of friends on a riviera break who want something easier to park than a saloon. It also makes a defensible cross-border car for a single Dubrovnik day run via Debeli Brijeg, or a long lunch in Herceg Novi. It is less compelling if you are four adults with full luggage or if your week is weighted toward inland national parks — the diesel helps, but a Golf or 308 simply gives more.

Practical notes

Petrol consumption settles near 5.8 L/100 km in mixed driving and the 42-litre tank delivers real range on the riviera: Budva–Ulcinj–Budva barely dents it. Parking is friendly at 4.05 m — the metered bays at Slovenska Plaža's lot, the seafront perimeter at Bečići and the short bays below the Sveti Stefan overlook all accept it without drama. Front-wheel drive on all-season rubber handles coastal winter fine; for Durmitor or Kolašin between November and March keep chains in the boot — legally required on several mountain passes. 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 riviera trip happen. Skip it only if you specifically need more boot, more height for gravel detours, or the diesel torque of the next size up.

Inside the car

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