Renault's Z Alert On Twingo

This is the car which reveals Renault's plans to steal sales away from the MINI. The cute concept, to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next month, is the biggest hint yet as to what the next-generation Twingo will look like when it comes to the UK in 2007.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Chris Thorp

15th February 2005

Codenamed Z17, the show car's tight proportions and unusually shaped glass areas are reminiscent of the current Twingo which, although a massive hit on the Continent, was never officially imported into Britain.

While the production version will provide seating for five, the Z17 has a more unusual cabin layout. Renault says that, on average, cars carry only 1.4 people - but, as offering only two seats would reduce practicality, the concept has room for three.

Extra luggage space is provided instead of a fourth chair. However, the production Twingo will be much more conventional, taking its styling cues from the manufacturer's current Modus supermini-MPV and the next-generation Clio, which Auto Express revealed in issue 838. The showroom version will be sold alongside its supermini sibling, but is to be marketed as a fashionable rival to BMW's MINI. As a result, practicality won't be the top priority, and buyers can expect to see plenty of quirky design features inside and out, to create a more adventurous feel.