I've driven the new Renault Twingo — and it's the closest thing to affordable, lightweight electric motoring without the compromise

Adam Wood, Renault’s UK managing director, refers to the “Trojan horse” effect of the Renault 5 and Renault 4: two cars that have won over the elusive private buyer in much of Europe, out-selling Tesla and simultaneously introducing EVs to an entirely new audience.

“It looks right, it appeals to the heart and the head, and it is priced right, which is part of the success story,” Wood explained at the launch of the third car in the French marque’s electrified reimagining of iconic models.

The smaller, cuter and altogether more affordable Renault Twingo E-Tech is largely based on the same platform as the Renault 5 and 4, although the overall length has been shortened and the multi-link rear axle has been replaced by a flexible unit borrowed from the Renault Captur.

And apologies if Twingo isn’t ringing any bells — while it was never sold in the US, the original model of the 1990s sold a staggering 4.1 million units in 25 countries, including much of Europe, where it has garnered something of an iconic status. So indulge us a little.

The modern version's onboard batteries now feature a more affordable Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry and, rather than weighing down the package with an endless row of cells, the useable capacity is a mere 27.5kWh. As a result, the Twingo tips the scales at just 1,200kg, allowing the compact city car to eke out 163 miles from a single charge.

Sensible stuff aside, the 3.79m-long Twingo aims to build on its reputation by offering bags of practicality and character, wrapped up in the latest in-car technology and an electric powertrain that is both capable and comfortable.

All of this should cost a fortune, right? Wrong. Both the Renault 5 and Renault 4 arrived boasting impressively affordable price tags and the Twingo will takes things even further, with Renault execs claiming that it will cost “comfortably” less than €20,000 (around £17,500 / $23,000 / AU$33,500) when it arrives on European roads later this year.

That places it among some of the most affordable electric vehicles on the market, which includes the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03 — otherwise known as 'compromise on wheels'.

Cheap without the cheapness

Let’s not pretend that the Renault Twingo is something that it isn’t. Max range from the small battery packs is 163 miles, charging speeds are capped at 50kW and, in a surprising move in today’s EV segment, Renault has limited the power output of its electric motor to a relatively measly 82hp.

In the era of massively overpowered electric vehicles, the 0-62mph ‘sprint’ time of 12.1 seconds and the top speed of 81mph feel refreshingly old school. If the French marque wanted to ape the performance of its tiny 1.2 liter, four-cylinder petrol original, it has succeeded.

But where the aforementioned affordable rivals deliver vaguely similar performance credentials, they do so with a heavy compromise on ride quality, cabin quietness and overall refinement. The modern Twingo manages to shirk these unfavorable characteristics.

Sure, there are pop-out windows in the rear, much of the cabin is covered in cheap plastics and the headrests feel like they are filled with air, rather than cushioning foam, but it is all executed with a laser-like focus on design.

The roof is embossed with Twingo ‘alphabet’ lettering, the LED headlamps and taillight design has barely changed from the concept car and the dash features numerous nods to the original Twingo, including the oversized ‘candy-like’ hazard light button.

Renault didn’t have to introduce all of this stuff but it did. The company wanted to cut costs where it could without ridding the vehicle of character and it's all the better for it.

What’s more, the Android Automotive-based infotainment system (a 7-inch driver display and 10-inch touchscreen) is lifted from the Renault 5 and offers a digital experience that simply isn’t found in the city car segment.

Renault is also the first to offer safety assistance packages and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capabilities at this sort of price.

A big kid at heart

Renault knows that simply packing a vehicle with funky design touches isn’t enough to win over buyers — today’s cars need to fit in with busy lifestyles and prove competent beyond short strolls to the supermarket.

In this respect, the Twingo offers a number of ingenious solutions to make up for its lack of stature. Inside, all of the seats easily slide and fold on individual rails, meaning stowage space can be freed up wherever it's required.

The boot or trunk has a false floor with a double opening, which frees up an additional 50 liters of stowage space for charging cables and more beneath it, while remaining accessible on one side when larger items are in place.

Inside, the cabin borrows the YouClip accessory system from sister company Dacia, with mounting points dotted around the interior for attaching bag hooks, LED lamps, smartphone cradles and cable organizers.

In essence, owners can customize their cabins using these little gizmos to suit their lifestyle, but there's plenty of handy stowage space for tossing a smartphone or stashing a bottle of water.

It might be small on the outside, but there's big car energy on the inside.

Renault also offers an extensive list of its own clever in-car accessories, which range from small storage boxes to fit between the driver and passenger to a cushioned arm rest that doubles-up as a zippered bag for stashing bottles of water and more.

Bizarrely, the rear of the cabin feels slightly less claustrophobic than the one found in the Renault 5 and rear passengers get a relatively generous amount of leg room when the rear seats are slid all the way rearwards. This does mean you have to compromise on trunk space, though.

And, unlike the original Twingo, this modern interpretation is a proper five-door affair, making it much more comfortable and practical for daily use.

The more mature personality is also reflected in the way the new Twingo drives and rides. Admittedly, the suspension, like that of the Renault 5 E-Tech, feels firm, and the larger 18-inch alloy wheels can crash over speed bumps and larger potholes.

But it’s impressively comfortable over longer distances and can even handle highway speeds without too much in the way of wind roar and road noise drowning out a Spotify soundtrack.

On that subject, the clever interior packaging of the dash and windscreen mean Renault engineers have been able to fit the little Twingo with an Arkamys auditorium audio system with its six speakers. Sound quality is impressive for a vehicle of this size.

Not too serious

Thanks to the fact that Renault has managed to keep weight down to the bare minimum (for an EV, that is), the company has been able to install what it deems as “the most appropriate” battery and motor configuration.

Power isn’t too much, while the battery packs provide enough range for most city-car use cases, as well as the ability to venture further when required. Granted, 50kW isn’t the fastest but Renault says it takes 30 minutes for a 15-80% charge.

On top of this, the aerodynamic and powertrain efficiencies are impressive, with the company claiming 12.2 kWh / 100 km, which is around 5.1 miles per kWh on the WLTP cycle.

During testing, I managed to return around 4.5kWh per mile on a mix of twisting mountain roads and some slower highway driving, according to the onboard efficiency data readouts. Not bad at all, considering the ultra-efficient Mercedes-Benz CLA returns similar figures.

But with all this sensible chat of refinement, charging speeds and range, it would be easy to think the Twingo E-Tech is a bit boring. Thankfully, it’s not.

The powertrain is fantastically well judged, to the point where you can spend an unfathomable amount of time with the right foot buried to the carpet.

Occasionally, the front wheels scramble for grip and the Twingo scampers around tight bends, but it’s joyous in a way that only lightweight, low-powered cars can be. This is the sort of model you'd happily receive when playing the holiday car rental lottery.

There’s an overarching sense of fun here, and if the Renault 5 and 4 E-Tech were modern, design-led takes on beloved French classics, the Twingo is an altogether more faithful representation of the original.

Super low-cost, fuss-free motoring for the electric generation, but one that doesn’t feel like its maker has cut every conceivable corner.

A sensational smaller sibling. The Trojan pony to the 5 E-Tech’s Trojan horse.

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