The bon vivant
This year will likely be the deciding factor in whether electric mobility can establish itself; BMW and Volvo have already taken the lead, with range and fast charging sorted; there’s also an increasing number of models coming from China. In fact, this year will be the deciding factor, because this year will finally see the arrival of affordable electric cars – the small ones that you can actually afford even if your wallet isn’t exactly bursting at the seams. At VW, it will be the ID.Polo, likely under 25,000 francs; Kia has something in the same price bracket, Hyundai is bringing something to the table, Dacia is in the mix too – and at Renault, the all-electric Twingo will be at dealerships from the end of April. Starting at 18,900 francs, with ‘all-inclusive’ features, 18-inch wheels and so on, it comes to just under 23,000 francs – so price can no longer be the argument against an electric car. But there’s one more thing about the electric Twingo: its carbon footprint is 60 per cent lower than that of its predecessor. After 35,000 kilometres, the electric model’s overall energy balance is better than that of the petrol version.
Now, with this fourth generation of the Twingo (two of which we’d rather forget straight away), one could of course grumble that a 27.5 kWh battery is simply too small, that a range of 262 kilometres according to WLTP – meaning probably a real-world 150 kilometres – is simply too little. You could, but you don’t have to. Instead, perhaps ask yourself what your own driving profile is like: what do you need your car for, when, and how often? Sure, if you’re a sales rep hauling a heavy trailer and clocking up 1,000 kilometres every day, then the new Renault Twingo definitely isn’t the right fit. But as a little runabout in a suburban setting – for shopping, driving the kids around – it’s just the ticket; for most people, it’ll probably cover the commute to work as well. It can be charged at 22 kW via alternating current (AC), and up to 50 kW at a fast charger. Far from top performance, but perfectly sensible.
It drives well. No, the new 1.2-tonne Twingo certainly isn’t overpowered with its 82 hp. But it’s electric, so the power is instantly available – 175 Nm – making overtaking manoeuvres a breeze; you only reach the 130 km/h top speed after a bit of a build-up, but that’s fine – in most countries you’re not allowed to go any faster anyway. At the red light, the little French car takes off like a shot; it’s manoeuvrable, it’s agile, it’s easy to handle – the G-Class driver’s eyes well up in the city, not just when parking; a turning circle of under 10 metres is quite something. And then there’s that old adage: it’s simply far more fun to push a car that isn’t overpowered to its limits than to trundle about in a hypercar using perhaps 10 per cent of its potential. But again: we definitely see the Twingo as a city car. And no, we’re not asking ourselves here why anyone would want a car in the city.
It’s quite clear that Renault has made all sorts of compromises to achieve the Twingo’s competitive price (with Chinese help, incidentally; though it’s built in Nova Mesto, Slovenia). There’s the small battery, there’s the somewhat clunky rear axle (from the Captur) – and there’s simply a lot of plastic in the interior. That’s what you’re used to in this segment, though; it’s always been that way with the Twingo (and was absolutely dreadful in the first generation). And it’s actually quite nicely done, even if it might not be entirely clear to the observer at first glance what the car-coloured panel in front of the passenger is supposed to be for. A decent screen in the centre, another digital display behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel, both perfectly legible and, as always with Renault, incredibly easy to use. There are physical switches for the ventilation/heating, plus a few other buttons – the haptics experts will certainly be pleased. The overall impression is good, including in terms of build quality.
And then there are a few other cool features, such as the rear seats that slide 17 centimetres; the first Twingo had that too, though back then it was just a bench. The boot capacity is therefore between 260 and 360 litres; the front passenger seat can be folded down, allowing even 2-metre-long items to fit into this 3.79-metre-long French car. The Twingo has borrowed a few cheerful gimmicks from Dacia, which suits it well; however, it won’t be getting the folding roof of yesteryear just yet. And of course it looks good, not only because it bears such a strong resemblance to the first generation of the Twingo (from 1992), but also because it’s simply cool. It’s available in bold colours. The right size, the right drive, very fair pricing – it’s very hard to find anything wrong with this car.
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