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Renault Twingo: Small, sporty(ish), safe ... and it's a BACK-ENDER

It's cute, but a little anaemic

Boot space is a little tight

Fluids

Fortunately you don’t have to get to the engine bay for water, washer or oil top-ups. That’s all done at the front. Unusually for a rear-engined car there is no storage in the front; the plastic bonnet has an odd mechanism which slides forward a little to give access to the fluid top-up points.

Putting the engine in the back compromises boot space a bit. At 188 litres it’s much shallower than something like a Volkswagen UP but then there is an engine underneath there. The Twingo does, however, make up for depth with length. Not only do the back seats fold to give a total carrying capacity of 980 litres, so does the front passenger seat – meaning something as long as 2.31m can fit in. That’s 50 cm more than a standard UK house door; ideal if you have to transport a surfboard, or more prosaically an ironing board.

Lots of room

The engine options are economical and super economical. The more powerful of the two, a 90hp turbo, is good enough to hustle the 943kg car along at a top speed of 103 mph with a 0 - 62.5mph figure of 10.8s, while the less powerful engine (70hp, no turbo) gives a quoted top speed of 94mph and an acceleration figure of 14.5s, in a car which is a tad under 80kg lighter.

For completeness, the torque figures are 135Nm and 91Nm (100ft/lbs and 67 ft/lbs). But it’s the economy figures which are the really special thing about the engine. Both engines manage over 70mpg on the extra urban cycle and an excellent 50.4mpg for the small one on the urban cycle or 57.6 mpg for the bigger engine.

There is an eco button, but with the poor throttle response and merely adequate performance of the engine I wasn’t minded to press it. Renault says it will improve consumption by ten per cent, but as the manufacturer was paying for the petrol at the launch I was happy to take Renault’s word for it.

What makes it remarkable, though, is that as a result of not having an engine in the front the Twingo can turn its wheels a full 45 degrees, and that means an exceptional turning circle of 8.59 metres. Not quite as tight as the 8m turning cirlce of a London black cab, but close.

Renault Twingo by Simon Rockman

Stripes accentuate the haunches

Renault say the Twingo echoes some of its previous rear-engined cars – alas, not the Alpine A110 or A310, but the Renault 5 Turbo. I have to say I can’t see that either. The haunches are just not there. The engine is cooled from a radiator in the front and breathes from under the car so there are no wide wheel arches with vents in them. And it seems Renault knows this, as there is a selection of rear-wing-enhancing sticker kits available. These work well but let’s hope that the promised warmer version – albeit not a full on Renaultsport – will see a steatopygic improvement.

Renault are only making the Twingo as a five door car. The hidden handles at the back help give it more of a three-door look but market research indicated there was no need for the smaller version. It’s a shame they didn’t go for the RX-8 style doors of the Twin Z concept which begat the Twingo.

Wheel

Stylish wheels are an option

Of course, because it’s unfashionably rear-wheel drive, there is no torque steer. Handling is good. It’s not “over-commit dive into a corner” good, but certainly it's a zippy city car, thanks to the MacPherson struts at the front and De Dion torsion beam rear axle. Fine over rougher surfaces but, as I said, a long way from feeling French.

There are two tech options. The first is a built-in 7” touch screen called R-Link which has DAB, TomTom based navigation, Bluetooth, “3D” sound and an excellent, exceptionally wide angle rear view camera. This, combined with the tight steering lock, makes the Twingo very easy to park.

The second tech option used an Android or iPhone, running the “R&Go” navigation system. While the built-in option is better integrated, I preferred the smartphone option as it is the only way to get a rev counter. A major annoyance of the Twingo is the lack of said rev counter and the phone links to the CANBUS using OBD-II to give revcounter functions. It also provides Sat Nav using ALK CoPilot. Renault says it chose CoPilot because it works well offline and so saves data costs.

Inside the twingo

It’s a nice place to sit. The seats are good if a little wide, but they have a sporty look to them. Despite the great packaging which makes the most of the space in the car, the rear legroom is a little tight, but not outrageously so. Evora owners would think of it as a limo.

Removeable glovebox

A glove box you can take with you

One of the odd things in the Twingo is the glovebox. This takes the form of a mini-pannier which fits into the dash, meaning you can take it out. The optional sunroof rolls all the way back. It stops short of the rear window – this isn’t a 2CV – but it gives a great airy feel, even for those in the back.

Many of the features will appeal to parents looking for a first car for their teenagers. So safety is important – indeed, the reason I’ve owned Renaults has been excellence in NCAP safety ratings – and the car is passenger impact-friendly thanks to that impact-absorbing front end and its plastic bonnet. There are two front airbags, along with two head and thorax side airbags, anti-whiplash front headrests, pre-tensioners on the seat belts, pressure sensors on the front doors and acceleration sensors. But what will really appeal to parents is the insurance group. The 70hp Twingos are band 2 or 3, depending on model, with the 90hp model coming in at band 8.

And that is the only reason to go for the cheaper version. The Renault Twingo SCe 70 S&S (Start and Stop) is £10,995. The The Renault Twingo SCe 90 S&S is £11,695. Normally at this point in the write-up the reviewer will say that surprisingly he prefers the cheaper version, because it's lighter or more direct without turbo lag. But in this case the engine and turbo are so small the engine needs all the help it can get and there isn't any lag. Insurance notwithstanding, the 90 is the one to get.

Row of twingos

Identical Twin(gos)

All the features of the Twingo stack up well for a first car. It’s a little sporty to drive, rear-engined with rear wheel drive and a proper gearbox. It's got lots of carrying space, it's safe, economical and looks fine. If you are after a first car this might very well be the Twingo you are looking for. ®

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