When most individuals think about a European street journey, they in all probability dream about driving via tiny Tuscan villages in Italy, the place each nook presents a postcard view. Or maybe cruising alongside the sun-soaked French Riviera, the Mediterranean shimmering to 1 facet. Or possibly heading to Germany to expertise the fabled Autobahn the place the legendary “no velocity restrict” indicators supply the last word in driving freedom.
For me? I made a decision to throw the street journey rulebook out the window and spent two weeks exploring the mountainous areas of Slovakia and Poland. In any case, why do what everybody else is doing and luxuriate in Europe’s summer time solar on the seashore when you can be profusely sweating climbing up a mountain in the hunt for a waterfall?
I get it—this in all probability seems like a model of hell to most individuals, however for me, it was the perfect antidote to my typical grind within the large metropolis. It was additionally less expensive than anyplace in Western Europe. Fewer crowds, much less cash spent, and a much-needed break from the standard “bucket checklist” spots. Appears like a win to me.
QUICK FACTS
My steed for the journey was a 2022 Renault Clio I picked up from Bratislava Airport. It wasn’t essentially the most glamorous choice, nevertheless it was the most cost effective. I had been promised that it might be the facelifted, fifth-gen Clio that was launched in 2023, however alas, it wasn’t. However, it was nonetheless my first time driving the Clio V having beforehand owned a third-gen Clio RS a few years in the past.
After selecting up the keys to my supermini – completed in a glistening shade of silver – I popped the hood to see whether or not I’d been given the bottom 999 cc, three-cylinder mannequin or the marginally bigger and extra highly effective 1.3-liter. A lot to my dismay, it was the previous.
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I’ve skilled a Renault 1.0-liter three-pot earlier than. Rewind roughly 12 months and I took a 3-week journey to South Africa and rented a Renault Triber, a mini MPV that you just’ve in all probability by no means heard of that’s inbuilt India. Producing a grand complete of 71 hp and 71 lb-ft (96 Nm) of torque, it was completely gutless. To keep up freeway speeds alongside a street with even a 1% incline, I needed to plant my foot to the ground and alter down a gear.
May this Clio, fitted with a really related (albeit not equivalent) engine deal with the powerful inclines across the gorgeous Tatra Nationwide Park? I wasn’t so positive. However, come alongside for the experience, and I’ll let you understand.
Pictures: Brad Anderson/Carscoops
After pulling out of the Avis carpark, I shortly adjusted to driving on the left-side of the automotive and made my first pit cease. Lidl. In the event you reside in Europe, or have traveled to it, you’ll know this low cost grocery store chain is ideal for affordable snacks. With a full abdomen, I headed onto the freeway for my first in a single day keep close to the picturesque metropolis of Banská Bystrica encircled by three mountain chains.
A lot of the highways the place I reside in Australia are capped at 100 km/h (62 mph), so I used to be pleasantly shocked to search out these in Slovakia are normally 130 km/h (81 mph). What shocked me extra was how keen the little Clio was to rise up to those speeds. Whereas it had an analogous 999 cc engine to the Triber I drove in 2023, it’s often known as the TCe 100 and delivers a extra satisfying 99 hp (74 kW) and 118 lb-ft (160 Nm). This additional grunt comes from the very fact it rocks a teeny-tiny turbocharger.
A strong punch
The turbo made all of the distinction, making it a breeze to rise up to the velocity restrict and keep there, even alongside the inclines I had feared a lot. Coupled to this engine is a six-speed handbook driving the entrance wheels. It nonetheless wants a strong 12 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) nevertheless it was good sufficient to wring out, regardless that it didn’t sound significantly inspiring.
I stayed in Banská Bystrica for 2 nights and stumbled upon some completely improbable roads. The spotlight was a shocking ribbon of tarmac working between the cities of Harmanec and Turčianske Teplice. Full of unbelievable twists and turns, in addition to some spectacular views, it was the proper place to place the Clio via its paces.
As everyone knows, rental automobiles are the quickest automobiles on the planet and whereas our plucky Clio wasn’t an RS, it felt proper at residence across the tight turns and hairpins. It got here fitted with Continental EcoContact6 tires that had been quiet at freeway speeds however supplied loads of grip. The Clio was straightforward to push into mild understeer, and on the restrict, it remained controllable, with the tires letting out a mild screech at any time when I pushed an excessive amount of.
The shifting motion of the six-speed was lengthy and lazy, whereas the clutch was gentle. For a automotive like this, this isn’t a shock, and it makes the Clio a breeze to drive in cities and cities. It’s not as properly suited to flinging up and down a mountain move although.
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Subsequent, I headed to the small village of Žiar for a few days earlier than coming into the Tatra Nationwide Park for the primary time. The size and dimension of this mountain vary is jaw-dropping. The views are spectacular. The meals is great. The summer time climate is gorgeous. I’d have cherished to have been in a high-powered sports activities automotive cruising alongside Freedom Highway (street 537) from the cities of Pribylina to Tatranska Kotlina however the Renault did the job.
Pictures: Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Now is an efficient time to say the standard of the mountain roads in Slovakia. The nation was as soon as a part of Czechoslovakia, a former communist state, earlier than splitting to turn into an impartial state in 1993. I anticipated to search out bumpy surfaces and potholes all through the mountainous areas. I used to be flawed.
Whereas most of the areas I stayed in are blanketed in snow through the winter, the roads are completely pristine and among the many smoothest I’ve skilled. Potholes are non-existent, and so they make Aussie roads appear totally surprising. God is aware of how they’re maintained, however they stand as much as the weather and make driving an actual pleasure.
I then headed to Zakopane, simply throughout the border in Poland. In winter, it’s a mecca for snowboarding and snowboarding, whereas in summer time, it’s a mecca for climbing. It’s maybe my favourite space of Poland and is dominated by hovering peaks and exquisite lakes. Sadly, it was very busy, and I couldn’t take pleasure in a number of the flowing mountain roads as a lot as I did in Slovakia due to the visitors.
My keep did give me alternative to dive into extra of the Clio’s particulars. Dominating the inside expertise is a big portrait-oriented infotainment system. The show is crisp and sharp, providing loads of distinction and nice colours. What’s not so good is the software program. It’s fairly gradual to reply to touches and the multimedia system is fundamental in comparison with what rivals supply. Each wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported.
Having spent two years dwelling with a Clio 3, the Clio 5 felt noticeably larger, regardless that it stays fairly a small automotive. There’s loads of room up entrance for tall occupants and even headroom and legroom within the second row is nice. The trunk can maintain 391 liters (13.8 cubic-feet), which was greater than sufficient for all of my baggage.
Gas effectivity is one other robust go well with. I averaged 5.5 l/100 km (42.7 U.S. mpg) throughout my ~1,600 km (994-mile) street journey and solely needed to gasoline up twice.
Verdict
Whereas this pre-facelift Clio 5 wasn’t the one I had been promised, it proved to be as much as the duty and was a worthy companion for the journey. Admittedly, it did experience a bit agency nevertheless it at all times remained snug and had simply sufficient grunt for overtaking on the freeway. I’d have favored a bit extra energy and should have been higher off with one of many 1.3-liter fashions. Nonetheless, for many motorists, and for more often than not, the 99 hp Clio is nice sufficient. In the event you reside in Europe and might discover a used one for lower than €12,000, add it to your shortlist.