At the wheel of the new Renault Twingo E-Tech: as practical and affordable as the original

Since its launch in 1992, the iconic Renault model has surpassed the figure of 4.15 million units sold in 25 countries across its three generations.

The new Twingo respects the DNA of the first generation, brings its practical features into today’s context and continues Renault’s push into electric mobility in the city car segment. It does so with a starting price that cannot be compared to that of the original version, below 20,000 euros before incentives. It is true that, given current car prices, it is very reasonable.

It is the fastest development model in Renault’s history: just 100 weeks from launch to industrialisation. This was achieved twice as fast as a conventional electric model, thanks to the coordination of Ampere, ACDC and the Novo Mesto plant.

The design was carried out at the Technocentre in Paris, on the basis of the RGEV small platform; the engineering in China, with ACDC and suppliers such as Launch Design, CATL and Shanghai e-drive. At the same time, development of the platform, electronics, software, multimedia and driver assistance systems took place in France.

Production takes place at the European plant in Novo Mesto, which has saved approximately one year in planning compared with an equivalent model and reduced investment by 50%.

Its iconic design, with a length of 3.79 metres and a wheelbase of 2,493 mm, offers excellent interior space and flexibility for four occupants. It now has five doors, two independent rear seats that slide 17 cm as standard on all versions, and a folding front passenger seatback on the top-of-the-range variant. It is based on the RGEV small platform, with the front suspension of the Renault 5 and a multi-link rear suspension derived from the Captur.

It offers a boot capacity varying between 260 and 360 litres (with 50 litres under the boot floor), up to two metres of interior length and a turning circle of 9.87 metres.

One hundred percent electric

As is customary for the brand, the new Twingo also features cutting-edge technology, including up to 24 driver assistance systems, the openR link multimedia system with integrated Google, and more.

It has a 60 kW front-mounted electric motor (82 hp) paired with a 27.5 kWh LFP battery, providing up to 263 km of WLTP range, thanks to its low consumption of 12.2 kWh/100 km WLTP and its light weight (1,200 kg).

The motor has been optimised for high efficiency and is supported by a very effective aerodynamic design: Cx of 0.656, underbody panelling, rear light fins, and more. This has made it possible to optimise the battery capacity at 27.5 kWh usable and limit consumption to 12.2 kWh/100 km.

The 27.5 kWh battery in the Twingo E-Tech electric uses LFP (lithium iron phosphate) technology, equipped with a removable underbody protection plate, an independent electronic unit to facilitate repairs, and a 1.3 kW heater to optimise efficiency, improving cold-weather range and DC charging time. It also incorporates the Fireman Access system, which rapidly floods the cells in the event of a fire.

The programmable cabin preconditioning system can be accessed through the My Renault app. This feature allows the vehicle to be warm while preserving battery energy when the car is charging.

It allows AC charging at 6.6 kW, which means the battery can be charged from 10 to 100% in just over four hours. Optionally, for 490 euros, you can request the “Advanced Charge” pack, which increases AC charging power to 11 kW and adds a 50 kW DC charger. In this case, AC charging from 10 to 100% takes 2 hours and 35 minutes, and at a DC fast-charging station, it takes 30 minutes to go from 10 to 80%.

With the “Advanced Charge” pack, a bidirectional 11 kW AC charger with the V2L (vehicle-to-load) function is included, allowing a 220 V device of up to 3,700 W to be connected to the car’s battery.

On the techno trim, it features the “One Pedal” function, a fourth regenerative braking mode activated via the steering wheel paddles. It automatically deactivates when reversing to maintain very slow speed, and reactivates automatically above 12 km/h.

Practical interior

All versions offer the same configuration: a 7-inch digital instrument cluster (17.8 cm) for driving information and a 10-inch central multimedia screen (25.4 cm).

It has more than ten storage spaces open, offering a total of up to 19 litres, and the front has a 3.6-litre central console, the traditional door pockets (2 of 1.8 litres) and a compartment for a phone.

A range of accessories is available for storage options, such as a closed box between the front seats, a cover to hide the boot, or pre-installed attachment points for YouClip accessories (USB cable reel, folding shopping bag, bag hook, LED lamp, etc.).

It features a connected multimedia system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, via cable or wireless connection. On the top-of-the-range techno trim, the openR link system with integrated Google is included, while driver assistance systems are very numerous. As in other models in the group, there is a “My Safety Switch” button on the left of the steering wheel to activate or deactivate up to five ADAS settings at the same time.

Very enjoyable

We had the opportunity to drive the new Twingo on the roads and through the villages of the island of Ibiza and, to be honest, it surprised us positively, as its driving experience is genuinely pleasant, free of noise and vibration, with a firm response for a model with 82 hp.

The steering is very precise (2.6 turns lock to lock), with a small turning circle that makes manoeuvring easy (9.87 metres), and a very stable footprint thanks to a comfortable suspension that filters out road imperfections. Without being pretentiously fast, as its top speed is limited to 130 km/h, it manages to accelerate from standstill to 50 km/h in 3.85 seconds.

On bends it handles with great ease, making it very easy to choose the desired line through the steering wheel without any body roll being felt. The use of the paddles for regeneration is very practical, even without using One Pedal, since it allows you to decelerate without using the brake pedal and helps recharge the battery.

With lively driving on motorways and main roads, we achieved an average consumption of around 13 kWh/100 km, a very encouraging figure given the manufacturer’s maximum claimed range of 263 km WLTP.

Range and equipment

The new Renault Twingo E-Tech electric is offered in two trim levels: Evolution and Techno. The first includes 16-inch wheels with hubcaps, a 7-inch driver display, a 10-inch central screen with smartphone mirroring and connected multimedia system, cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, advanced driver monitoring system, automatic parking brake, separately sliding rear seats, height-adjustable driver’s seat, manual air conditioning, rear parking assist and a mode 3 charging cable.

The Techno features 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels, the openR link multimedia system with integrated Google (Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play), adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go function, automatic climate control, the One Pedal system, tinted rear side windows, automatically folding exterior mirrors, folding front passenger seatback, keyless card-type key, reversing camera, automatic high and low beam switching, automatic wipers and 6 speakers.

Optional extras include the Advance Charge Pack, 18-inch alloy wheels, all-season tyres, the parking pack and heated seats.

The Evolution trim, before incentives, costs 19,500 euros, while the Techno version costs 21,100 euros. However, if you obtain the state aid, the brand’s promotional discount and the energy saving certificate, the Evolution version can be purchased for 12,970 euros, a very attractive price.

The brand currently offers a 36-month financing plan for the entry-level version, with a monthly payment of 65 euros, a deposit of 7,022 euros and a final payment of 10,531 euros.

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