The Renault Twingo has already found a home for its production: it will arrive in 2026

The new Renault Twingo has had a complex development, though not because of its technical complexity. It is a small city car that has been in preparation for production, but it has gone through several scenarios that have delayed the start of its manufacturing. Finally, it seems the French brand has found a way to kick off production of the model.

In principle, development was being carried out by Renault and Volkswagen. The French brand was going to contribute the AmpR Small platform, which underpins the Renault 5 and also the Renault 4, which will arrive shortly. For its part, Germany was going to provide other components to cut costs and create a base on which the Volkswagen ID.1 could also be shaped. But this did not go as planned, so the negotiations broke down.

But now Renault has just announced that the Twingo already has a home to begin production in time for its launch in early 2026. The company has signed an agreement with the Slovenian government, which has made the Novo Mesto plant available to Renault; the plant currently produces the Renault Clio on a single shift. This concession will keep the plant operational, which employs 1,400 people.

If all goes well, development of the fourth-generation Twingo will be completed in under 24 months, and production is expected to reach 150,000 units per year. In fact, work is underway to ensure each unit is built in just ten hours, which means it must be produced with fewer components than originally planned, reducing cost and production time.

The target price is 20,000 euros, so it must be manufactured very efficiently. It could become one of the most affordable electric city cars in Europe, making it a strong asset for the French manufacturer. That said, it will have to compete with its own models, the Renault 5 and the Renault 4.