First look: Renault Twingo electric - the small EV we've been waiting for? | Electrifying

#twingo #twingoelectric #electriccars

The original Renault Twingo was first launched in 1993, when the French firm's design boss decided to replace the much loved Renault 4 with something more like a minivan. The name “Twingo” came from a mix of three popular dances - the "Twist," "Swing," and "Tango" and this little city car hit the right note with buyers becoming an instant icon thanks to its combination of quirky design and practicality.

Aimed at people looking for a small affordable runaround, its boxy, characterful shape and innovative use of space - it had sliding rear seats and a large, bright cabin - gave it an edge over its competitors. Over time, the Twingo underwent various transformations. The second generation in 2007 brought more modern styling and greater refinement, though some felt it had lost a bit of its original character. In 2014, the third generation introduced a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, borrowing elements from the Smart ForFour before being discontinued in the UK in 2019 amid flagging sales.

But now, Renault is gearing up to relaunch it as a fully electric model bringing its blend of retro charm to the affordable end of the EV market. Don’t confuse this with Renault's electric version of the third generation Twingo - which wasn’t sold in the UK - this is an all new car and will sit alongside other electric models in Renaults range - the Megane E-Tech, the Scenic E-Tech, the Renault 5 E-Tech and the forthcoming Renault 4 E-Tech.

Join Ginny as she takes a first look around the new, reborn electric Twingo E-Tech. Is this the small electric car we've been waiting for? Will it be on your shortlist next year? Let us know in the comments below.

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[vp]

It’s good to see that the streets will soon be filled with smaller, affordable cars again. Perfect for tight city roads and car parks

[Betsybetsybetsy-wfxv]

Kinda weird how you say it is "like a love child between the Fiat 500 and the Ford Ka", while most of all, it looks very much like the original Twingo, which had a distinct and iconic design on its own.

[darrens]

Thank god it's still friend shaped.

[bobsingeton]

If the final production version looks like this "concept" version - and the numbers (£, range, etc) stack up - then Renault should be on to a winner for those of us looking for a small city car.

[stephenballantyne]

They're not 'city' cars! They're just cars with slightly shorter range for people who don't do motorway distances on a regular basis. These cars are perfectly happy in the countryside, suburbs, towns and, yes, cities. Stop encouraging people to view them as being limited to cities.

[stephenclay]

If they can build that and look like it then credit to the designer. Looks really good.

[mikadavies]

Renault keep smashing it.... Thank god they are NOT swallowed into that god awful Stellantis Group! Renault are standing alone at trying to build affordable/practical & stylish BEVs. Just hope they are successful in keeping it affordable in the real world.

[shroomyesc]

From any other manufacturer I wouldn't trust that the production version would look like this concept, but bar the big wheels and some minor details like the screen badge and fully flush panels I believe them that the production version will look almost identical. Mostly because the Renault 5 ended up looking exactly like the concept and judging by the spy images and the teasers the same applies to the new 4.

[OldCodeMonkey]

I'm tempted the say that Smart with the #1, #3 and #5 all develop cars in the same way with Geely providing all bits you don't see and Mercedes Benz doing the design and stylin of the car and interior

[HeadPack]

Great to see Renault doing another classic again. Drove a first gen Twingo and loved it. Hope the interior can be turned into a bed again. That was so nice on long drives for little naps.

[alexmckenna]

Wonderful design, and the colour is fab. Makes a change from grey and white..

[chrishumble]

Renault is knocking small EVs out of the park right now

[JogBird]

this isnt even a production version... might as well be reviewing pictures on a website

[JonKentplus]

Somehow I doubt it’ll ever look that good when it’s available

[aye]

That green paint is absolutely beautiful.

[matthewtyler-jones]

Hope this gets to production. Much more attractive than the five to me. And I want to see enough on the streets of Paris to play Twingo Bingo once more

[whittaker]

The styling kinda reminds me of a cross between the original twingo, the Renault modus and the Vauxhall adam. It looks very neat as a little city car!

[aleksandarbrzic]

My word... If THIS does not become a huge success, there is something definitely wrong with the whole world... 😇 I just dearly hope they don´t price it out of my budget!

[jjb]

Lets hope they tone down the 'bloat' on the production version.. Am actually a fan of the mk1 twingo looks -just this looks huge and like it's collapsed on the floor after too many pies.

[CarlosFandango]

An icon of the 90s with a great front and rear