Renault Twingo

The Twingo is capable, but there are more accomplished cars available.

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On the road price: £7,500 - £9,995
For : Cheap, decent standard equipment, light steering
Against : Coarse nature, poor dynamics, below-par build quality

Driving
The Twingo’s dynamics are a mixed bag. It’s simple to drive around town, thanks to the light, precise steering and a gearshift that’s very slick. However, on twisty roads, there’s too much body roll, the chassis loses composure and the Renault becomes easily unbalanced. This is true even for the sportier-looking GT – whose engine admittedly delivers punchy performance. Acceleration is impressive, although the throttle response is somewhat delayed and power delivery is a little sudden. But the biggest problem is its lack of refinement, something that also afflicts the slower non-turbo 1.2.

Marketplace
The second-generation Twingo city car is a UK debutant; the original, launched back in 1993, was never offered in right-hand-drive. The new car is longer, wider and taller than the original – and bigger than city rivals such as the Citroen C1/Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo. The front has a friendly face but it’s strangely dated-looking for a modern car. We don’t like the fiddly recessed doorhandle latches, either. For now, Renault offers it in two relatively high-spec models, the 1.2 Dynamique and racy 1.2 TCE turbo GT (whose silver mirrors and rear spoiler look out of place). If you’re looking for a budget car, look elsewhere; the old-shape Clio Campus is Renault’s preferred entry-level model! There’s just the single three-door bodystyle and, for now, no automatic option. Due to its pricing, the Twingo sits between city car and supermini sectors, competing with lower-end Toyota Yaris and Nissan Micras, while the Smart ForTwo and Mitsubishi i offer compact dimensions for similar money.

Owning
The cabin feels light and airy, but the driver’s seat is set too high and headroom feels a bit tight. It’s not an adventurous design but is simply laid out, and deep door pockets and dashtop provide stowage. We like neat touches such as the Mini-like steering column rev counter, and it’s very versatile too, with two individual chairs that slide back and forth by 22cm. Boot length varies accordingly, taking it level with some superminis. There’s evidence of cost-cutting, though. The plastics feel cheap and there’s exposed wiring in the narrow footwell. As for running costs, retained values should be average but fuel economy doesn’t seem all that impressive; even the base car can’t beat 50mpg. By small car standards, it’s expensive to maintain, too.