Renault Clio

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At a glance

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Two travellers basing near the Pristan promenade who want the biggest boot in the small-hatch class and a cabin that cruises the coast road north without feeling overmatched.

• Couples on a one-week stay
• Velika Plaža day-trippers
• Shkodër border-hoppers

The Renault Clio on Ulcinj roads

Behind the wheel

The current Clio is the workhorse small hatch of the Adriatic rental trade and the car most Ulcinj arrivals end up driving whether or not they intended to. The 1.0 TCe 100 hp three-cylinder is the common petrol spec, paired with a five-speed manual that is honest rather than sporting; some stock comes with a seven-speed EDC dual-clutch auto, which suits the stop-start Pristan evening traffic particularly well. The cabin is a size above what you expect for the segment — soft-touch roll, a portrait touchscreen that wakes on first tap, and a low-slung driving position that hides the car's actual 4,050 mm length. Over a week it never feels small.

On Ulcinj roads

Ulcinj's shape suits the Clio. The angled bays along the Mala Plaža promenade accept it straight in, the short-overhang geometry clears the kerb down from the old-town one-way system near Kalaja, and the supple damping soaks up the patched tarmac that the service roads onto Velika Plaža carry. The coastal run north through Sutomore and Bar is covered in comfort rather than alert concentration — the Clio glides. Where it shows its segment is the sustained climb up to Kalaja on a hot afternoon with three on board; the three-cylinder works audibly, though it never actually runs short of steam.

Space and load

The 391-litre boot is the best-in-class figure on paper and the shape backs it up — square, flat, low-lipped. Two medium hard-cases and a duffel fit flat without rearranging, which covers two travellers on a one-week Ulcinj stay cleanly. Fold the 60:40 bench and a full beach kit for a Velika Plaža day — two chairs, a parasol, a cool-bag, snorkels and towels — loads without the rear seats buried in gear. It will not swallow a pair of kite boards for Ada Bojana without strapping them across the back, and a four-adult Tivat Airport transfer is tight, but for the central Ulcinj rental profile it is properly practical.

Best journeys for this car

The Clio is the pick for the couple on a week-long Ulcinj stay who want a car that does every routine adequately and gets out of the way. Morning coffee near Pristan, a day trip to Shkodër via Sukobin, a long beach afternoon at Velika Plaža, an evening walk around the Ottoman walls at Kalaja. It also suits the returning visitor who knows the coast and wants quiet fuel weeks rather than a spec chase, and the business traveller on a two-night Ulcinj stop who values cruise composure on the Bar motorway leg. It is less compelling if four adults with full luggage are the brief — size up to the Megane.

Practical notes

Real-world petrol economy sits close to 5.4 L/100 km and the 42-litre tank gives a solid 700 km of range — Ulcinj to Budva and back without a refill, or a full Sukobin–Shkodër–Tuzi Albanian loop on half a tank. Petrol stations are frequent along the coast road but become sparse inland past Vladimir, so tank up before the Šasko Lake run. Parking at 4.05 m is easy in Ulcinj's old-town bays and in the Pristan paid lots; the tight turning circle matters again in the residential grid above the bus station where free kerb-side bays run long but narrow. Summer AC is strong enough to cool the cabin fast even on a 35°C July afternoon.

The verdict

Pick the Clio when you want the small-car everyman that does a week in Ulcinj without asking anything of you. Skip it only if your brief specifically needs more boot, a taller ride height for the Ada Bojana track, or the diesel torque of a mid-size auto on long motorway legs.

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• Apple CarPlay
• Rear Parking Sensors
• Cruise Control
• USB Charging