Renault Clio

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At a glance

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Two travellers with cabin bags doing Herceg Novi, Igalo, Kotor, maybe a Dubrovnik day. The workhorse of the Boka rental fleet.

• First-time Boka visitors
• Couples
• Cross-border day trips

The Renault Clio on Herceg Novi roads

Behind the wheel

The Clio V is the sensible default of the Boka Bay rental fleet and wears it well. The 1.0 TCe 100 hp triple idles a little thrummy, calms above 2,500 rpm, and pairs with a long-throw five-speed manual that is honest rather than sporting. The 1.5 Blue dCi 85 diesel appears on older stock and suits longer-stay renters better — slower to rev, pulls from 1,500 rpm without complaint on the Trebinje road. The cabin is the nicest in its size bracket: soft-touch top roll, a portrait screen that actually responds, a genuinely low-slung driving position rather than hatch-upright. It drives like a car a size bigger than the 4,050 mm outside length suggests.

On Herceg Novi roads

On the Boka coast the Clio is the car nobody regrets. The Adriatic Highway descent from Njegoševa to Topla seafront is dispatched without the chassis protesting; the brakes bed in after the first 50 km and never feel undersized. The 15-minute run to the Debeli Brijeg border for a Dubrovnik day is its comfort zone — the suspension absorbs the broken-edge tarmac near the Sutorina checkpoint better than a Polo does, and crosswinds on the exposed coastal stretch past Igalo do not push it about. The weak point is sustained mountain climbing on the inland road to Trebinje via Sitnica, where the little petrol works audibly for long 6% gradients, and the diesel is the better choice if your route leaves the coast regularly.

Space and load

The 391-litre boot is a 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 Igalo spa kit for two — robes, swim bags, a cool-box for the botanical garden picnics — travels without the back seats getting buried. It will not take a family-of-four-with-pram load the way a 308 would, but for two adults plus occasional rear passengers it handles any realistic Herceg Novi packing list. Hiking kit for two heading out to the Forte Mare viewpoints — 30-litre packs, boots, shells — leaves space for a day-bag on top.

Best journeys for this car

The Clio suits the broadest range of Herceg Novi trips. A couple doing a seven-day loop Herceg Novi–Kotor–Budva–Dubrovnik–back, a solo traveller based in the Topla quarter 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 the single-day Dubrovnik hop via Debeli Brijeg or a weekend to Mostar through Trebinje. It is less compelling if you are four adults with full luggage or if your week is weighted toward long reaches beyond the Bay — the diesel helps, but a 308 or Golf 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 along the coastal road. Parking is friendly at 4.05 m — the Topla promenade lots, the Škver bays at the marina, and the terraced Kanli Kula car park all accept it without drama. Front-wheel drive on all-season rubber handles Boka winter easily, though frost is rare at sea level and snow is unheard of on the coastal strip. 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 for regular inland reaches.

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