Renault Twingo Renault has finally got around to launching the Twingo on the Irish market - 14 years after it launched on mainland Europe. Should Irish drivers care? writes Michael McAleer.
After a 14-year delay, the Twingo is finally here. The nation is no doubt beside itself in anticipation.
Despite putting the first Twingo on sale in 1993, it seems to have only dawned on Renault that some of us drive on the other side of the road to the French.
The Twingo has been a hit on the Continent and won many favourable reviews from Irish motorists who found themselves behind the wheel of rental versions, but lack of foresight when planning the original model meant it never went on sale either here, or more importantly for sales figures, in Britain.
How a major car firm could get it so wrong makes the mind boggle. Renault defends the decision by explaining that the platform of the original model was never designed with right-hand-drive versions in mind. The obvious follow-up question of why evokes shrugging shoulders from the Renault staff we spoke with.
Things have changed however: Britain now represent over 12 per cent of small cars sales in Europe, a sizeable sales market that deserves some attention.
While it might have modernised its image compared to the rather boxy - if practical - predecessor, the new Twingo is not wildly different from the rest of the small cars on sale today.
It has the same cute looks, soft lines and in an age where big grilles give menace to saloon cars, the diminutive Twingo has no such angry demeanour.
Indeed it bears some resemblance to the previous generation Clio and doesn't look as quirky as rivals like the Citroën C1 or Fiat Panda. That could be a boon for the Twingo, for, despite all the overused marketing lines about the new car's appeal to young motorists, small-car buyers in Ireland vary greatly in age, and conservative tastes aren't far from the core of this segment.
For these more restrained buyers the optional bodypanel stickers will be left with the dealer but the rest of the car will certainly appeal. There's another facet that will strike a cord with buyers: it's bigger than previous generation Clios. That's not something that Renault has made much of - for obvious reasons - but those considering a Clio Campus should definitely look to the Twingo first.
While testing the car last week, we happened upon an old Clio in a car park. Up against it, the Twingo was taller, more spacious in the back and better equipped. So you can now buy a Twingo instead of a Clio, and save yourself some money to boot.
Unfortunately we never got to test out the standard issue 1.2-litre 60bhp version that will be the mainstay of Irish sales, though we did test the other engine choice for Irish buyers: the 100bhp turbocharged GT version.
This is designed to appeal to the younger motorists who want a little sparkle in their drive. Complete with bodykit and a few extra "racy" features like sports seats, it claims to offer a punchy performance in this city car class. It's fair to say that it handles itself very competently on motorway routes, cruising comfortably at the 130km/h speed limit on our Continental motorway test route, but it's not quite the hot hatch some would have you believe.
On tighter country roads the GT Twingo has a strong tendency to understeer, while the 0-100km/h time of 9.8 seconds is slightly slower than its main rival, the 100bhp version of the Fiat Panda.
And just as Fiat will find it hard to impress young petrolheads with a fast Panda, similarly the new GT owners will have touble winning adulation from their peers for driving a Twingo, even if it is a GT version.
In general, the handling is typical of the class, though Renault has a reputation for neutering the feel of the car due to over-use of the electric power steering. The Twingo suffers slightly from this as well. On the plus side, it's very easy to manage in traffic.
Inside the cabin, the large windscreen offers good visibility and there's a nice layout to the dash and controls. Rear-seat legroom is acceptable for the class and the independent sliding rear seats help ease the burden on rear passengers.
It's a busy period for Renault at present, with the imminent launch of an estate Clio, the new Laguna in its various guises and a future launch of a new Laguna coupé. For all these new attractions, one common theme runs through its efforts: Renault needs to rectify quality concerns held by many buyers in the market.
The engineers are promising us that things have changed. They've certainly put a lot of time and effort into the situation. Time will tell if things have improved.
For the Twingo, it's yet another small car in a market that isn't exactly bustling in Ireland, representing less than 2 per cent of overall sales. That's largely down to a belief that they are fine for town driving but you wouldn't fancy travelling across Ireland in one. We can confidently assure you that the Twingo is up to the task, at least in the higher engine format.
The Twingo is a well-thought out, spacious package that will win favour with fans of the French marque.
It's certainly better finished than rivals likes the Toyota Aygo, Citroën C1 or Peugeot 107, but it will have a tough time beating our favourite city car, the Fiat Panda, in both driver enjoyment and engine variants. And with Fiat set to launch its new 500 next month, the Twingo's star may not be in the ascendancy for long.
FACTS:
ENGINES
1.2-litre 60bhp petrol engine putting out 93Nm of torque.
Fuel consumption:
5.6L/100km (50.4mpg)
CO2 emissions: 132g/km
TCE 100bhp
1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine in the GT version of the Twingo. Offers 145Nm of torque
FUEL CONSUMPTION
5.9 L/100km
CO2 emissions: 140g/km
PRICES
Entry-level 1.2-litre Twingo is likely to go on sale for €12,500
AVAILABLE
From September