Renault's City Slicker

Red alert! Here's a first look at the rear end and interior of the next-generation Twingo city car, which Renault unveiled at this week's Geneva Motor Show.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Richard Dredge

02nd March 2005

Known currently as the Zo΃©, it's crammed with innovative details, from its useful split tailgate to those wacky LED headlamps. The firm's head of concept engineering, Dennis Falck, told us: "We wanted to produce something sporty, fun and dynamic. It also had to be functional and extremely stylish. The result is this asymmetrical car, with the door nearest the kerb being much longer than the one on the driver's side."

This lack of symmetry is because the Zo΃© is a three-seater, with a single rear chair on the nearside. Renault's research indicated city cars rarely carry more than a couple of people, yet buyers shy away from two-seaters due to their lack of flexibility. When the Twingo reaches production - in 2007 - it's likely that it will be offered with a choice of three or four seats.

At 3.45m long, the Zo΃© is shorter than the current Clio, yet it has more boot space. And to aid access to the cabin, glass roof panels raise electrically as the doors open.

Under the bonnet is an all-new turbocharged 98bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine, which will power the next- generation Clio set to debut at September's Frankfurt Motor Show. The unit is mated to a five-speed sequential manual/fully automatic box and will also appear in the Modus mini-MPV.