Renault Twingo returns as an ultra-compact EV that will cost less than £20,000

Meet the new Renault Twingo – a fun French all-electric compact car that aims to bowl over Britons with its cute looks and affordable asking price.

Sounding like a chocolate bar, Twingo is packed with clever and practical design details.

Created in just two years, the perky five-door city hatchback is a mere 3.75 metres long – only a fraction bigger than a Fiat 500 – and is Renault’s antidote to the flood of cheap Chinese imports. 

It is ‘built in Europe’ at the firm’s Novo Mesto factory in Slovenia but, significantly, has an electric motor sourced from China – which could limit is qualification for the Government’s Electric Car Grant.

But it should still be relatively cheap, with starting prices likely under £20,000.

However, a fully stocked top of the range model could be nearer £30,000 once extras like a glass sunroof are added. 

Twingo will be on sale by the end of next year though is unlikely to reach the UK until early 2027. 

Twingo’s electric turnaround: Renault will use the nameplate on its new EV, which aims to bowl over Britons with its cute looks and affordable asking price

Powered by a 60kW (82 horsepower) electric motor and a new 27.5kWh Lithium Ion Phosphate (LFP) battery, the new Twingo can accelerates from rest to 62mph in 12.1 seconds and up to a limited top speed of 81mph.

It will be available in Britain in two trim levels – standard Evolution specification and the higher Techno – with 16-inch wheels as standard but 18-inch as an option.

However, importantly for customers, the battery range of 163 miles drops to 155 with the larger wheels, which could limits the appeal of the bigger rims.

Yet, Renault bosses say that’s enough for city life where studies have shown that motorists cover an average of just 22 miles a day. 

Charging times range from half an hour (to 80 per cent) using a 50 kW DC fast charger, or 2 hours 35 minutes with an 11kW AC charger (to 100 per cent). With a slower 6.6kW DC charger, expect a full charge to take 4 hours 15 minutes.

The car also offers bi-directional charging, so you can use the battery to charge up items such as an electric bike. 

Renault estimates that the new LFP battery will not just be lighter and more efficient, it will also cut battery costs by around 20 per cent – which partly explains why it should ring it at less than £20,000. 

A 9.87 metre turning circle should also make it extremely agile for narrow urban side streets. 

The five-door city hatchback is a mere 3.75 metres long – only a fraction bigger than a Fiat 500 – and is Renault’s antidote to the flood of cheap Chinese imports 

Sounding like a chocolate bar, Twingo is packed with clever and practical design details. But it is the cute, retro looks that are likely to be the big selling point

It should still be relatively cheap, with starting prices likely under £20,000. However, a top of the range model could be nearer £30,000 once extras like a glass sunroof are added

The first-generation Twingo went on sale in France and mainland Europe in 1992. However, it was never officially a UK model, with Renault deciding it wasn’t right for our market

The diminutive Renault Twingo 1 was tiny on the outside but simple cabin design meant it was pretty spacious inside. And cheap too

The mk1 Twingo’s Tardis-like packaging is showcased best here in the limited run ‘Sumo edition’

Two generations of the Twingo have previously been sold in the UK. The mk2 (left) was introduced in Britain in 2006 – and they even made hot RenaultSport and Gordini versions. The third-gen Twingo (right) came in 2014, though its USP of having the engine under the boot floor wasn’t popular and it was pulled from showrooms in 2019 

It shares its platform with the award-winning Renault 5 and 4 EVs and features cannibalised parts from other cars including a rear axle from the French brand’s Captur crossover and a front axle from the R5.

Though it does at least come with its own unique soundtrack, bucking the trend of near silent EVs with a modest hum created by French composer Jean-Michel Jarre of Oxygene fame.

It too is packed with flexible features, including two independent rear seats which slide back and forth by up to 17cm and expand boot space from 360 litres to more than 1,000 litres with the seats folded, with two clever underfloor compartments. 

Some 50 litres is under the floor and accessible via two separate flaps. Add to that 19 litres of cabin storage cubbyholes.

The new Twingo promises levels of kit seen on larger vehicles a size-segment above its supermini status.

The dashboard has a 7-inch digital instrument panel and 10-inch central multimedia display.

But Renault has cut some corners to keep costs down, notably not offering wireless smartphone charging, meaning customers will…