Renault Twingo 2015, presentation and test drive in Barcelona

Diego G. Moreira 17 November 2014 8 min.

Renault Twingo 2015, presentation and test drive in Barcelona

Twenty years have passed since the first Renault Twingo was launched, a car we all remember for its rounded shape and which was a huge success for the brand. The second generation later followed, which distanced itself from the first, and even its restyling kept certain distance from it without becoming innovative in design.

But luckily things have changed: the third generation of the Renault Twingo 2015 arrives with a complete revolution in design, technology and mechanical architecture, since it now has the engine at the rear and rear-wheel drive.

In Barcelona we were able to test this iconic Renault model on a very interesting route of several hours and put the new Renault Twingo’s behaviour to the test. It is a car that is not only eye-catching from the outside, but behind the wheel it is fun and engaging, a good city car with sufficient performance when we leave the cities.

Design with essence and a reminder of the R5

They say good perfumes always come in small bottles; we are talking about a car and not a perfume, but it is certainly a “small” with a lot to offer. The exterior design will be the first thing to catch our attention, and there is no doubt about the inspiration the designers have followed, with that air of the iconic Renault 5, but updated.

At 3.59 metres long (it is shorter than the previous generation, but with a longer wheelbase) it has a total of five doors (another novelty, the first five-door Twingo) and is surprisingly spacious inside.

How is this possible? By having the engine at the back, the wheels have been pushed to the extremes of the bodywork, making it shorter than the previous generation while having a greater wheelbase, and this is noticeable in an interior space more typical of a higher segment than a pure city car. That said, it has five doors but four seats, and the rear windows do not open fully (the same solution used by the Citroën C1, Peugeot 108 or even the C4 Cactus).

The front is what most reminds us of the previous Twingo, especially the LED daytime running lights (standard) in a central position. At the rear, the black glass tailgate stands out, along with the headlights that take us back to the era of the R5.

Personalisation will be the Twingo’s strong point, since it can be decorated to our taste with a range of exterior elements, such as the side strips or wheels, as well as offering an extensive range of colours, including some eye-catching tones (7 different shades).

Youthful interior, more space than you might think

If I tell you that a basketball player can fit lying down inside, you probably won’t believe it when you see the car from the outside. But it really does fit, in fact the space available inside is 2.3 metres long (we can carry certain long objects such as a surfboard).

Leaving the interior dimensions aside, the dashboard stands out for its contrasting colours and materials, with some hard plastics but acceptable for this segment. The instrumentation is very spartan, it doesn’t even have a rev counter, but it is practical and includes an on-board computer with all kinds of consumption information.

The driving position is slightly elevated, with excellent visibility and seats that are rather firm with an integrated headrest, though sufficient for a city car of this type. A notable absence is the roof grab handles; the seats do not offer good lateral support (it is not a sports car and that is logical), but at the very least it could have grab handles on the roof (according to what we were told by Renault, this request has been passed on to the brand).

At the back it is relatively spacious, when we sit down it feels more like we are sitting in a Clio than a Twingo. It is true that there is not much headroom, but an average-height person will be comfortable in the rear seats. In addition, it has the record for knee room in the rear seats.

The boot has a capacity of 188 litres, which can be expanded to 219 litres if the rear seatbacks are placed in a more upright position (though much less comfortable for sitting in them). And in terms of storage, it even has a curious main glovebox that can be carried like a handbag and fits a tablet, plus a space under the front passenger seat for leaving our things.

New architecture, fun to drive

The engine is at the rear, but it has not simply been placed in the boot, in fact it still has a boot. In the lower part of the boot, under a metal plate, the engine is hidden, angled at 49º so that it fits into that space.

For those who ask about the heat it may give off, the brand assures us it is very well insulated. What we saw is that the engine has a metal panel and then the boot tray has an insulating foam, but we could not verify whether after a long day’s journey the powertrain sends heat into the boot (we will see in a future test).

And what is under the bonnet of the Renault Twingo? That is an interesting question. First, know that the bonnet does not open fully: you have to remove two pieces at the front to reach a release handle, and the bonnet slides downwards revealing a series of fluids and components at windscreen height: coolant and brake fluid, and also the battery and radiator.

Can you tell it is rear-wheel drive? Not very much. Someone not used to driving a rear-wheel-drive car who gets behind the wheel of the Twingo will not notice a big difference; it is a very stable car with driving behaviour very similar to a front-wheel-drive one, partly thanks to the weight distribution, nearly equal between the front and rear axles. That said, it has a fun aspect that shows on winding roads, where it moves with considerable ease.

ESP? It is standard and cannot be switched off, although it is not overly intrusive, and on our route on a very fun road we barely noticed its presence. But of course, if you want to disable it, that can only be done at the workshop.

Behaviour: outside the city, better with 90 CV, and it is the king of parking

The engine range consists of two petrol engines of 0.9 L or 1.0 L with three cylinders: 1.0 SCe with 70 CV and 0.9 TCe with 90 CV, the latter having a turbo, which you can feel. The 70 CV naturally aspirated engine is more sluggish and we recommend it more for towns; moreover, although it is not a sports car to drive, it is an engine sufficient for the city, and without a turbo there are also fewer mechanical complications in urban use. Both engines have a five-speed gearbox, sufficient for urban use and even for the open road.

But if we plan to do more motorway driving with the Twingo, or even venture onto the motorway, the recommendation is the 90 CV TCe because it has a strong response and is more fun behind the wheel.

In the city it stands out for its compact dimensions, and for its excellent steering lock (the wheels turn 45º). There is no garage space it will not fit into; it is impossible, because between its small dimensions and good steering angle, it is the king of parking.

The steering is light, which is appreciated in the city but on country roads or even on the motorway it is too light and you notice it. On the motorway, a lot of aerodynamic noise also comes through, but that is understandable since it is a city car.

As for fuel consumption, the 90 CV engine is homologated at 4.3 litres per 100 km, which is not an unrealistic figure, since on our route through central Barcelona and its surroundings we achieved an average consumption of 5.5 litres per 100 km.

Range, equipment and prices of the Renault Twingo 2015

The Twingo has been on sale since 3 November with a price that starts at 11,700 euros for the 70 CV SCe engine. There are only two trim levels: Intens and Zen. And as standard it already includes six airbags, air conditioning, ESP, LED front lights, the R&Go smartphone connectivity system, among other features.

The Zen trim adds: cruise control with speed limiter, 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, electric front windows, lane departure warning (which alerts us with an icon and a beep when we drift out of our lane), electric mirrors, leather steering wheel, among other features.

Among the options, the R-Link navigation system with rear-view camera stands out, as does the Sport Pack (which adds the side strips and sport wheels for 600 euros), or even the fabric roof for 890 euros, making the Twingo a semi-convertible.

The R&Go System is nothing more than a holder for an Android or Apple smartphone, and a free mobile app that gives us a navigation system and a set of multimedia controls from the phone itself, using it as a multimedia hub.

The prices of the Renault Twingo 2015 are as follows:

At these prices the PIVE scrappage incentive would have to be deducted, so the final price could be somewhat lower if we qualify for the PIVE.