Adam Wooden, Renault’s UK managing director, refers back to the “Computer virus” impact of the Renault 5 and Renault 4: two automobiles which have received over the elusive non-public purchaser in a lot of Europe, out-selling Tesla and concurrently introducing EVs to a wholly new viewers.
“It seems to be proper, it appeals to the guts and the top, and it’s priced proper, which is a part of the success story,” Wooden defined on the launch of the third automobile within the French marque’s electrified reimagining of iconic fashions.
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The trendy model’s onboard batteries now characteristic a extra reasonably priced Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry and, quite than weighing down the package deal with an limitless row of cells, the useable capability is a mere 27.5kWh. Consequently, the Twingo ideas the scales at simply 1,200kg, permitting the compact metropolis automobile to eke out 163 miles from a single cost.
Smart stuff apart, the three.79m-long Twingo goals to construct on its status by providing baggage of practicality and character, wrapped up within the newest in-car expertise and an electrical powertrain that’s each succesful and comfy.
All of this could break the bank, proper? Flawed. Each the Renault 5 and Renault 4 arrived boasting impressively reasonably priced worth tags and the Twingo will takes issues even additional, with Renault execs claiming that it’ll price “comfortably” lower than €20,000 (round £17,500 / $23,000 / AU$33,500) when it arrives on European roads later this 12 months.
That locations it amongst among the most reasonably priced electrical automobiles available on the market, which incorporates the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03 — in any other case generally known as ‘compromise on wheels’.
Low cost with out the cheapness
Let’s not fake that the Renault Twingo is one thing that it isn’t. Max vary from the small battery packs is 163 miles, charging speeds are capped at 50kW and, in a shocking transfer in at this time’s EV section, Renault has restricted the facility output of its electrical motor to a comparatively measly 82hp.
That is the form of mannequin you’d fortunately obtain when enjoying the vacation automobile rental lottery.
Within the period of massively overpowered electrical automobiles, the 0-62mph ‘dash’ time of 12.1 seconds and the highest velocity of 81mph really feel refreshingly old style. If the French marque wished to ape the efficiency of its tiny 1.2 liter, four-cylinder petrol unique, it has succeeded.
What to learn subsequent
However the place the aforementioned reasonably priced rivals ship vaguely comparable efficiency credentials, they accomplish that with a heavy compromise on experience high quality, cabin quietness and total refinement. The trendy Twingo manages to shirk these unfavorable traits.
Positive, there are pop-out home windows within the rear, a lot of the cabin is roofed in low-cost plastics and the headrests really feel like they’re full of air, quite than cushioning foam, however it’s all executed with a laser-like deal with design.
The roof is embossed with Twingo ‘alphabet’ lettering, the LED headlamps and taillight design has barely modified from the idea automobile and the sprint options quite a few nods to the unique Twingo, together with the outsized ‘candy-like’ hazard mild button.
Renault didn’t need to introduce all of these things however it did. The corporate wished to chop prices the place it may with out ridding the automobile of character and it is all the higher for it.
What’s extra, the Android Automotive-based infotainment system (a 7-inch driver show and 10-inch touchscreen) is lifted from the Renault 5 and provides a digital expertise that merely isn’t discovered within the metropolis automobile section.
Renault can also be the primary to supply security help packages and Car-to-Load (V2L) capabilities at this form of worth.
A giant child at coronary heart
Renault is aware of that merely packing a automobile with funky design touches isn’t sufficient to win over consumers — at this time’s automobiles want to slot in with busy life and show competent past brief strolls to the grocery store.
It is impressively snug over longer distances and might even deal with freeway speeds with out an excessive amount of in the best way of wind roar and street noise.
On this respect, the Twingo provides plenty of ingenious options to make up for its lack of stature. Inside, the entire seats simply slide and fold on particular person rails, that means stowage house will be freed up wherever it is required.
The boot or trunk has a false flooring with a double opening, which frees up a further 50 liters of stowage house for charging cables and extra beneath it, whereas remaining accessible on one facet when bigger gadgets are in place.
Inside, the cabin borrows the YouClip accent system from sister firm Dacia, with mounting factors dotted across the inside for attaching bag hooks, LED lamps, smartphone cradles and cable organizers.
In essence, house owners can customise their cabins utilizing these little gizmos to go well with their life-style, however there’s loads of helpful stowage house for tossing a smartphone or stashing a bottle of water.
It may be small on the surface, however there’s massive automobile vitality on the within.
Renault additionally provides an intensive listing of its personal intelligent in-car equipment, which vary from small storage bins to suit between the motive force and passenger to a cushioned arm relaxation that doubles-up as a zippered bag for stashing bottles of water and extra.
The Twingo provides plenty of ingenious options to make up for its lack of stature.
Bizarrely, the rear of the cabin feels barely much less claustrophobic than the one discovered within the Renault 5 and rear passengers get a comparatively beneficiant quantity of leg room when the rear seats are slid all the best way rearwards. This does imply you need to compromise on trunk house, although.
And, not like the unique Twingo, this contemporary interpretation is a correct five-door affair, making it far more snug and sensible for every day use.
The extra mature persona can also be mirrored in the best way the brand new Twingo drives and rides. Admittedly, the suspension, like that of the Renault 5 E-Tech, feels agency, and the bigger 18-inch alloy wheels can crash over velocity bumps and bigger potholes.
However it’s impressively snug over longer distances and might even deal with freeway speeds with out an excessive amount of in the best way of wind roar and street noise drowning out a Spotify soundtrack.
On that topic, the intelligent inside packaging of the sprint and windscreen imply Renault engineers have been capable of match the little Twingo with an Arkamys auditorium audio system with its six audio system. Sound high quality is spectacular for a automobile of this dimension.
Not too severe
Due to the truth that Renault has managed to maintain weight all the way down to the naked minimal (for an EV, that’s), the corporate has been capable of set up what it deems as “probably the most acceptable” battery and motor configuration.
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