Review
/5
- Pros:
- Distinctive looks
- Decent space for luggage and passengers
- Low running costs
- Cons:
- Expensive compared to rivals
- No five-door model
- Quality still not up with the best in class
pictured:
Renault Twingo hatchback 2012 front quarter
reviewed by Carbuyer
"The Renault Twingo is as spacious and practical as ever, but lacks the comfort and value of its major rivals."
At a glance
- The greenest
- Dynamique 1.2 16V 75 eco2 3dr
£10,350 - The cheapest
- Dynamique 1.2 16V 75 eco2 3dr
£10,350 - The fastest
- Dynamique 1.2 16V 75 eco2 3dr
£10,350 - Top of the range
- Dynamique 1.2 16V 75 eco2 3dr
£10,350
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The Renault Twingo has always been a spacious, practical and good to drive city car – but it has never stood out or offered a quality interior. With the new VW up! on the scene, in addition to revised versions of the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1, Renault has addressed this with an updated model. New headlights, a new grille, fresh tail-lights and a couple of new colours are the biggest exterior changes, while inside the dashboard comes in a new, better quality soft-touch fabric material. The revised range consists of only two models – the standard Dynamique with 1.2-litre petrol engine and the sporty Renaultsport model. While the Dynamique is well equipped, it's more than £2,000 more expensive than an entry level VW up!.
Drive
Twingo is happy in town, Renaultsport model is firm but fun
The Renault Twingo loves narrow back streets and tight parking spots, making it ideal for the city. It also handles well, with little in the way of body roll and precise steering. The 1.2-litre petrol engine requires lots of revs to deliver its best, and can become noisy, especially on the motorway. If you want even greater driving thrills, try the Renaultsport model. It has very stiff suspension, but the payoff is that it's great fun around corners and has a powerful 133bhp 1.6-litre engine.
Comfort
The suspension is a bit stiff and sound insulation could be better
Rivals like the VW up! have much softer suspension and are more comfortable than the Twingo, which is quite firm. You can certainly hear the engine at all times, while road and wind noise aren’t kept out of the cabin very well. The cabin is spacious, but the steering doesn’t have reach adjustment, so some drivers will have to put up with an awkward driving position.
Reliability
Twingo feels better inside but still no class leader
With a new soft-touch dashboard fabric and new seat materials, the Twingo feels more modern inside, and it's certainly no worse than a Toyota Aygo or Citroen C1. The VW up! feels a step above it, though. On the plus side, the Twingo is very basic with little to go wrong – which means it should prove more reliable than some other products in Renault's range.
Practicality
Versatile cabin is let down by three-door layout
The Twingo's three-door layout spoils practicality, and makes the two rear seats difficult to access. However, the Renault makes up for this with rear seats that slide back and forth, so boot space varies from 165-285 litres, which is impressive for such a small car. Fold the seats down and there's 959 litres available, which is also good. There are also plenty of storage spaces throughout the cabin, so the Twingo more than compensates for its lack of rear doors in this respect.
Value for money
All cars offer a basic specification but now with more personalisation
The Fiat 500 and MINI are the kings of personalisation – and Renault has tried to follow their lead with the facelifted Twingo. It's a bit half-hearted, as it's limited to different coloured wing mirrors, exterior stickers and contrasting cabin trim, but at least they’ve made the effort. The biggest problem is the Twingo's price – the one model offered, the Dynamique, is just over £10,000.
Running costs
Rivals are cheaper to run, no tax-free version
When even certain BMW 5 Series executive models are emitting less than 120g/km of CO2, it's a pretty poor show that the 1.2-litre petrol Twingo posts emissions of 119/gkm and claimed fuel economy of 55.4mpg. That falls way behind the class average, and means the Twingo doesn't qualify for free Road Tax.
*Our monthly finance prices are updated on a regular basis, but due to the dynamic nature of the market are not guaranteed accurate. You can always confirm the monthly finance price with FinanceAcar.
