Adam Wooden, Renault’s UK managing director, refers back to the “Computer virus” impact of the Renault 5 and Renault 4: two vehicles which have gained 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 proper, it appeals to the guts and the pinnacle, and it’s priced proper, which is a part of the success story,” Wooden defined on the launch of the third automotive within the French marque’s electrified reimagining of iconic fashions.
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(Picture credit score: Renault)
The fashionable model’s onboard batteries now characteristic a extra inexpensive Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry and, quite than weighing down the package deal with an infinite 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 automotive 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 luggage of practicality and character, wrapped up within the newest in-car expertise and an electrical powertrain that’s each succesful and cozy.
All of this could break the bank, proper? Fallacious. Each the Renault 5 and Renault 4 arrived boasting impressively inexpensive worth tags and the Twingo will takes issues even additional, with Renault execs claiming that it’ll value “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 inexpensive electrical autos in the marketplace, which incorporates the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03 — in any other case referred to as ‘compromise on wheels’.
Low-cost with out the cheapness
(Picture credit score: Renault)
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 stunning transfer in at the moment’s EV phase, Renault has restricted the ability output of its electrical motor to a comparatively measly 82hp.
That is the type of mannequin you’d fortunately obtain when taking part in the vacation automotive rental lottery.
Within the period of massively overpowered electrical autos, the 0-62mph ‘dash’ time of 12.1 seconds and the highest pace of 81mph really feel refreshingly old skool. If the French marque wished to ape the efficiency of its tiny 1.2 liter, four-cylinder petrol authentic, it has succeeded.
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However the place the aforementioned inexpensive rivals ship vaguely comparable efficiency credentials, they accomplish that with a heavy compromise on experience high quality, cabin quietness and total refinement. The fashionable Twingo manages to shirk these unfavorable traits.
(Picture credit score: Renault)
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 crammed with air, quite than cushioning foam, however it’s all executed with a laser-like concentrate on design.
The roof is embossed with Twingo ‘alphabet’ lettering, the LED headlamps and taillight design has barely modified from the idea automotive and the sprint options quite a few nods to the unique Twingo, together with the outsized ‘candy-like’ hazard gentle button.
Renault didn’t should introduce all of these things however it did. The corporate wished to chop prices the place it might with out ridding the car 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 affords a digital expertise that merely isn’t discovered within the metropolis automotive phase.
Renault can be the primary to supply security help packages and Car-to-Load (V2L) capabilities at this type of worth.
An enormous child at coronary heart
(Picture credit score: Renault)
Renault is aware of that merely packing a car with funky design touches isn’t sufficient to win over consumers — at the moment’s vehicles want to slot in with busy life and show competent past quick strolls to the grocery store.
It is impressively snug over longer distances and may even deal with freeway speeds with out an excessive amount of in the way in which of wind roar and street noise.
On this respect, the Twingo affords various 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 area may be freed up wherever it is required.
The boot or trunk has a false flooring with a double opening, which frees up an extra 50 liters of stowage area for charging cables and extra beneath it, whereas remaining accessible on one aspect when bigger objects 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 way of life, however there’s loads of useful stowage area for tossing a smartphone or stashing a bottle of water.
It may be small on the surface, however there’s massive automotive power on the within.
(Picture credit score: Renault)
Renault additionally affords an intensive checklist of its personal intelligent in-car equipment, which vary from small storage containers to suit between the driving force and passenger to a cushioned arm relaxation that doubles-up as a zippered bag for stashing bottles of water and extra.
The Twingo affords various 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 way in which rearwards. This does imply it’s important to compromise on trunk area, although.
And, not like the unique Twingo, this contemporary interpretation is a correct five-door affair, making it rather more snug and sensible for every day use.
The extra mature character can be mirrored in the way in which 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 pace bumps and bigger potholes.
However it’s impressively snug over longer distances and may even deal with freeway speeds with out an excessive amount of in the way in which 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 in a position to match the little Twingo with an Arkamys auditorium audio system with its six audio system. Sound high quality is spectacular for a car of this dimension.
Not too severe
(Picture credit score: Renault)
Because of 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 in a position to set up what it deems as “probably the most applicable” battery and motor configuration.
I managed to return round 4.5kWh per mile on a mixture of twisting mountain roads and a few slower freeway driving.
Energy isn’t an excessive amount of, whereas the battery packs present sufficient vary for many city-car use instances, in addition to the flexibility to enterprise additional when required. Granted, 50kW isn’t the quickest however Renault says it takes half-hour for a 15-80% cost.
On high of this, the aerodynamic and powertrain efficiencies are spectacular, with the corporate claiming 12.2 kWh / 100 km, which is round 5.1 miles per kWh on the WLTP cycle.
Throughout testing, I managed to return round 4.5kWh per mile on a mixture of twisting mountain roads and a few slower freeway driving, in response to the onboard effectivity information readouts. Not unhealthy in any respect, contemplating the ultra-efficient Mercedes-Benz CLA returns comparable figures.
(Picture credit score: Renault)
However with all this wise chat of refinement, charging speeds and vary, it will be simple to assume the Twingo E-Tech is a bit boring. Fortunately, it’s not.
The powertrain is fantastically effectively judged, to the purpose the place you may spend an unfathomable period of time with the best foot buried to the carpet.
Sometimes, the entrance wheels scramble for grip and the Twingo scampers round tight bends, however it’s joyous in a method that solely light-weight, low-powered vehicles may be. That is the type of mannequin you’d fortunately obtain when taking part in the vacation automotive rental lottery.
There’s an overarching sense of enjoyable right here, and if the Renault 5 and 4 E-Tech had been fashionable, design-led takes on beloved French classics, the Twingo is an altogether extra devoted illustration of the unique.
Tremendous low-cost, fuss-free motoring for the electrical technology, however one which doesn’t really feel like its maker has minimize each conceivable nook.
A sensational smaller sibling. The Trojan pony to the 5 E-Tech’s Computer virus.
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