The Renault Twingo is making a comeback as a budget-priced electric car, with a starting price of less than £20,000.
Following in the footsteps of the retro-inspired Renault 5 and Renault 4 electric models, the new Twingo is a clear throwback to the original 1992 model that was a huge success for Renault. To be officially known as the ‘Twingo E-Tech’, it will have a driving range of up to 163 miles (final official figures for UK-spec cars will be announced closer to the UK launch).
Size-wise, the new Twingo checks in at about 3.8 metres long, which is similar to the original model. That puts it in a similar bracket to cars like the Leapmotor T03 and the Dacia Spring, although underneath it shares a lot of its componentry with the larger Renault 5.
Being a dedicated electric car, interior space should be very good for a city car. The two rear seats and slide and fold separately for maximum flexibility, and boot space is claimed to be 360 litres – which would put a number of larger petrol hatchbacks to shame.
Performance should be adequate rather than impressive. A 60kW (82hp) electric motor drives the front wheels, giving a 0-62mph time of 12 seconds. Realistically, this is a city car rather than a motorway car, and its performance should be perfectly decent in the cut and thrust of urban traffic.
The bad news is that you’ll have to wait more than a year to see the new Twingo on UK roads – it’s not scheduled to enter production at Renault’s factory in Slovenia until 2027.
