By James Wong

After shedding some of its brownie points in the long motorway trips, the Clio got a chance to prove itself today at the B roads of the Yorkshire Dales. It didn’t disappoint.

It truly felt engineered for such roads. It had the suitable gearing, the right amount of power so you don’t fly to the next hedge and the right amount of grip so that you can dance with every twist and turn of the road. It is sensational and it is very clear that this is a B-road warrior, not a motorway stormer or an alpine pass climber.

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Even its normally stiff suspension felt at one here. It ate the bumps of the road in its stride, which in low speed would have normally resulted in abnormal damping.

Also, I managed to find a very empty car park to execute my first handbrake spin. The first time I tried, ESP prevented a full slide but removing the reigns meant a glorious spin the second time round.

I will miss this car very dearly.