- All-new Renault Twingo revealed
- City car reinvented as EV
- Range of up to 163 miles
- Starting cost below £20,000
- LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery
- No rear-wheel drive
- Set to arrive in 2027
Renault has revealed its new electric Twingo E-Tech - and here it is in all of its smiley-faced glory!
The Twingo is a bit of an icon of urban motoring, having been sold in decent numbers in the UK between 2006 to 2019.
After an extended hiatus, the Twingo is back - now completely reinvented as a nimble city hatchback with a fully-electric powertrain.
It’s important to say here that it’s not the first time we’ve seen an electric Twingo - the Renault Twingo ZE hit European roads in 2020 but was never sold here in the UK.
When the new Twingo launches in 2027, Renault has promised that it’ll be cheap, coming with a target price below £20,000 - which will make it more affordable than a Citroen e-C3 (but still more expensive than the Dacia Spring).
The trademark front grin of the original Twingo remains - but its rear-wheel drive set-up has been jettisoned for front-wheel drive.
Here’s everything else you need to know:
How does the new Renault Twingo look compared with the old model?
Cute and cuddly is about the size of it.
Renault talks about the Twingo having a ‘cheerful vibe’ with a ‘mischievous look’, and that ‘bubble of energy’ theme is shown across the exterior and the interior.
The Twingo has a so-called one-box body reminiscent of the car from the 1990s (that wasn’t sold here in the UK) while the shape of the headlamps, grille, and air vents on the top left-hand side of the bonnet are also a nod to the original.
As with the first-generation Twingo, the grille forms a subtle smile, while displaying the name of the car at the corner.
The fun-looking cabin gets body-coloured inserts and even quirky hooks to hang your shopping bags in the passenger footwell.
Is the new Renault Twingo E-Tech bigger than the old Twingo?
The Renault Twingo E-Tech is built on the same electric platform as the Renault 5 E-Tech and Renault 4 E-Tech.
At 3,789 mm in length, 1720mm wide, and 1,491mm tall, it’s roughly the same size as the latest 3-door MINI Cooper. So, bigger than the old Twingo, but not by much. Renault says an extended wheelbase allows for bigger tyres and a ‘stronger presence on the street’.
The Twingo E-Tech should prove practical enough, too.
As you got with the original, there’s a sliding bench of seats in the rear that lets you maximise legroom while Renault says its pintsized EV will happily accommodate four ‘real’ adults.
What battery and range does the Renault Twingo have?
The Renault Twingo is built for the cut and thrust of city traffic, not for covering long distances, so the battery is small in comparison to other EVs.
The battery size is a modest 27.5 kWh and it’s an LFP (lithium iron phosphate) unit, which is cheaper to produce than other powerpacks.
You can expect a range of up to 163 miles between charges while rapid 50 kW DC recharging capabilities can see you restore the energy from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes.
How powerful is the Renault Twingo E-Tech electric - and is it rear-wheel drive?
Not very! But that’s what you’d expect from a small city car.
Power of 82hp translates to a 0-62mph speed of 12.1 seconds. Renault instead boasts about the Twingo’s 0-31mph speed, which is a sprightly 3.85 seconds, and which is probably the stat you need to hear when commuting through busy cities.
While the Twingo of the past was unique in that it was available with a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive set up (which gave it a tiny turning circle and better traction on slippery roads) the new Twingo E-Tech is front-wheel drive only.
What trim levels are available with the Renault Twingo E-Tech?
There are two trim levels to choose from with the Renault Twingo E-Tech.
The entry-level Evolution grade comes with 16-inch steel wheels, a 10-inch screen with smartphone mirroring, a 7-inch digital driver screen, cruise control, automatic emergency braking, a sliding rear bench of seats, and rear parking sensors.
Top rung Techno models enjoy two-tone wheel covers, Renault’s fancy ‘OpenR Link’ multimedia system with Google built-in, the ‘Reno’ voice assistant, auto air con, one pedal driving (which dials-up the brake regen), a rear-view camera, and uprated audio system.
How much is the Renault Twingo E-Tech?
Prices haven’t been officially announced just yet but Renault says they’ve got a target price of below £20,000.
It wouldn’t make it the cheapest electric vehicle in the UK (that honour currently goes to the £15k Dacia Spring or the £16k Leapmotor T03) but it would still undercut rivals like the Citroen e-C3 and Fiat Grande Panda.
When is the Renault Twingo E-Tech being launched in the UK?
The electric Twingo will be arriving in 2027 and will be built at the Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia.
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