Renault’s first Twingo arrived in the early 1980s as a motoring response to Europe’s economic malaise. Plus ça change.
As car firms continue to oversupply European motorists, in the vain hope that winning market share will cushion them from the overall sales drop, the latest Twingo arrives on the scene, hoping to lure young motorists to yet another funky French city car.
When I first heard about plans for a new Twingo, it’s fair to say my pulse didn’t hit triple digits.
The first time I got to see this latest iteration in the metal, I was caught by its rather cheeky styling, the air of honesty about its low-tech cabin features and the simplicity of its approach. But it was still just another little city car that would end up being overpriced when it got over here.
Then I drove it. That’s when I discovered the Twingo is a little gem.
First let’s bring you up to speed with the format and background to this car. The costs of developing city cars are often just as high as larger cars because there are no exceptions made in terms of regulations on safety standards just because it’s meant to be a low-priced car. Similarly the engines have to meet the same environmental standards.
So cut-throat rivals are happy to work together in this market segment than in others. Hence the fact this Twingo is also the same car in many respects as the new Smart. Daimler and Renault came together to develop an affordable platform that could be used by both.
The end result puts the engine in the back while also giving Smart a proper regular manual gearbox at last.
The Smart cars had all the street cred and funky styling to become a hit at the turn of the decade, but they were simply horrible to drive.
The stuttering, jerky gear changes from its horrendous transmission took all the fun out of what should have been a sales bonanza.
This time, older and wiser, Smart hopes it can win back some reputation.
In reality its high prices will still see it largely ignored by Irish buyers.
Not so the Twingo, at least not in terms of performance and attractiveness. So what do we get this time? Well the end result of the Daimler-Renault venture is a compact, nimble little city car.
While Renault is playing up the lineage with past Twingos, this car will strike more chords with Irish buyers with memories of the Renault 5.
One striking difference between this and the fondly remembered Renault 5, or course, is that in this instance the little engine is in the back.
That means a lighter feel to the steering, better balance on the road, and the odd chance to get some rear-end fun from a city car, although electronic stability control is omnipresent to stop things getting out of control. It also means the cabin is impressively quiet compared to its rivals. Of course this is not the whispering magic carpet ride of a €120,000 luxury limousine, but it’s better than rivals costing €7,000 more.
This is a great little car to drive, practical for city touring and capable of coping with two adults in the back so long as you’re not planning a cross-country expedition. It will cope with a midweek supermarket shop, can tackle the 200km trip without unwanted rattle and hum, and with light steering and a remarkably tight turning circle it feels like every bit the simple go-kart drive when you get behind the wheel.
The low-tech interior is complimented by Renault’s smart new connectivity system that sensibly leans on the motorists smartphone and apps to offer all the tech functionality most of us needs. There’s an app you download to sync with the car and the system actually delivers what the vast majority of motorists actually want: access to their favourite app features while on the road. We don’t really need complex in-car infotainment systems if you let us access the tech we already have on our smartphones.
There are two engines on offer: the 70bhp 1-litre we tested here and a great new 90bhp 900cc engine we drove on an international test event some time ago.
The 900cc engine is a cracker, much better than the 70bhp version.
However it's only offered in Ireland on the top-end Twingo and the €3,000 price difference between entry-level and it is simply not worth the money.
And so we come to the Achilles’ heel of the Twingo pitch: the price.
At €13,990 it’s difficult to justify the spend, even more so as you move up the trim levels and push towards the nose-bleeding €16,500. For a city car that’s silly money.
Admittedly with the help of its in-house bank there is a finance offer on the table that means you can get into a Twingo for €139 a month.
It’s a real shame that Renault seems to think this car should be pitched at the upper-end of the small car market, as a fashion accessory instead of a simple volume seller.
I’m sure the accountants have reams of spreadsheets they can produce that justify the profit-taking on the small car given the relatively low margins and small market for such cars.
But it seems to me like a badly missed opportunity.
The Lowdown: Renault Twingo SCe 70
Engine: 1-litre 70bhp petrol engine delivering 91Nm of torque at 2,850rpm
0-100km/h: 14.5 seconds
Top speed: 151 km/h
Fuel economy: 4.5 l/100km (62.8 mpg)
Emissions: 105 g/km (€190)
Features: ABS and ESP, speed limiter, rear spoiler, body-coloured door mirrors, 50:50 foldable rear bench, rear seats ISOFIX, DAB radio with R&GO; height-adjustable driver seat and two-tone, 15-inch wheel trims.
Price: €14,590 for test car
