city car The A-segment is the 1st category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined. A-segment sales represent approx. 7-8% of the market in ...

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

Paris Motor Show The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' ( ...

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsLHD markets until August 2007, and received intermediate restylings in 1998, 2000 and 2004.

Development

Designed under the direction of

Patrick Le Quément Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...

, Renault's chief designer, the car derived a concept developed through the W60 project when

Gaston Juchet Gaston Juchet () was a French engineer, known for being the chief designer of Renault between 1963 and 1975 and again between 1984 and 1987. Early life and career Gaston Juchet's interest in drawing begun when he was a boarder at the Lycée Lo ...

was Renault's chief designer. The project was aimed at replacing the

Renault 4 The Renault 4, also known as the 4L (pronounced "Quatrelle" in French), is a small economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1994. Although the Renault 4 was marketed as a short station wagon, its minimal rear overhang ...

with a

minivan Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe i ...

model. Le Quément chose a Jean-Pierre Ploué design to develop the production version. Le Quément stretched the original prototype and added an unconventional front end layout resembling a "smile". The interior equipment was mounted on a central console to free space. Renault had participated in the 1981 to 1984 'Mono-Box' ECO 2000 car project, along with PSA Peugeot Citroën and the French Government. The Twingo I's electronic centrally mounted instrument panel had a

speedometer A speedometer or speed meter is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment f ...

,

fuel gauge In automotive and aerospace engineering, a fuel gauge is an instrument used to indicate the amount of fuel in a fuel tank. In electrical engineering, the term is used for ICs determining the current State of Charge of accumulators. Motor vehi ...

,

clock A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the ...

,

odometer An odometer or odograph is an instrument used for measuring the distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or car. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two (electromechanical). The noun derives from ancient Gr ...

, and

trip recorder An odometer or odograph is an instrument used for measuring the distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or car. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two (electromechanical). The noun derives from ancient Gr ...

controlled via a stalk-located button. A strip of warning lights was located behind the steering wheel. The rear seat featured a sliding mechanism to enable either increased boot space or more rear-seat legroom. The boot parcel shelf was attached to the inside of the tailgate, and lifted with the tailgate – or could clip back against the rear window when not required.

Engines

All engines were replaced with an 8 valve 1.15-litre unit. A 16 valve version was added in 2000. Manufactured at the Flins Renault Factory from the time of its launch until 28 June 2007, the Twingo I was also manufactured in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

,

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

from 1999 to 2002, remaining in production until 8 June 2012 in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, by the Sofasa conglomerate, strictly for the South American market. ;Twingo I Safety

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...

results: * Adult Occupant: , score 23 * Pedestrian: , score 11

Timeline

In April 1993, the Twingo launched with only one trim level, and four exterior colors: coral

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

, Indian

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the R ...

, coriander

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

, and ultramarine

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

. The car retailed at a price of 55,000FF (approximately €8,400). In June 1994, new exterior colors were introduced along with minor interior changes, as well as optional electric windows and mirrors, and locks with remote key less entry. Four months later, the Twingo Easy model was launched, with an automated manual gearbox. In September 1995, the first of many special Twingo editions launched, while inbuilt airbags become optional. In July 1996, a new 1149 cc engine (from the

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί� ...

) was fitted to replace the previous engine from the

Renault 5 The Renault 5 is a four-passenger, three or five-door, front-engine, front-wheel drive hatchback supermini manufactured and marketed by the French automaker Renault over two generations: 1972–1985 (also called R5) and 1984–1996 (also called S ...

. Alongside the new engine came the Twingo Matic model, equipped with a 3-speed automatic gearbox. Also, various improvements were made including the addition of a third brake light. Two years later, the Twingo underwent its first major restyling revisions to the interior and dashboard. The front and rear lights were revised, and front orange indicator lights were merged into the headlamp housing. The front of the car is reinforced for added safety in a frontal impact. Two months later, the top of the range Twingo Initiale model launched. In September 2000, the Twingo underwent its second major restyling. Additions included larger 14" wheels, revised door trims with larger door pockets, a black trunk opener lever (instead of shiny silver), and cup holders in front of the gearstick. December 2000, a new 1.2-litre 16v engine launched, with . In April 2001, a new automated manual gearbox launched, called Quickshift. Additional revisions followed in September 2002, including new interior trims and wheel covers. In

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Renault was formerly licensed by Yanase Co., Ltd., but in 1999, Renault purchased a stake in Japanese auto-maker

Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

after Nissan had faced financial troubles following the collapse of the

Japanese asset price bubble The was an economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991 in which real estate and stock market prices were greatly inflated. In early 1992, this price bubble burst and Japan's economy stagnated. The bubble was characterized by rapid acceleration ...

in 1991 and subsequent Lost Decade. As a result of Renault's purchase of interest, Yanase cancelled its licensing contract with Renault in the spring of 2000, and

Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

Motor Co., Ltd took over as the sole licensee, hence sales of the Twingo I in Japan were transferred from ''Yanase Store'' locations to '' Nissan Red Stage Store'' locations. September 2004 marked the third major Twingo revision. The Renault logo was fitted to the boot lid, side rubbing strips were added and a new range of exterior colours launched. On 28 June 2007, Twingo I production ended in France, being replaced by the Twingo II. On 30 June 2007 2,478,648 units from the Twingo I were produced. The Renault Twingo I production went on into Colombia until 8 June 2012. In total there were over 2.6 million units of the first-generation Twingo produced. File:Renault Twingo front 20080709.jpg, 1993–1998 Twingo, front File:Renault Twingo rear 20080709.jpg, 1993–1998 Twingo, rear File:Renault Twingo front 20080222.jpg, 1998–2000 Twingo, front File:Renault Twingo rear 20080222.jpg, 1998–2000 Twingo, rear File:Renault Twingo I front 20090920.jpg, 2000–2004 Twingo, front File:Renault Twingo I rear 20090920.jpg, 2000–2004 Twingo, rear File:Renault Twingo front 20071115.jpg, 2004–2012 Twingo, front (non-standard wheels) File:Renault Twingo rear 20071115.jpg, 2004–2012 Twingo, rear (non-standard wheels)

Twingo Lecoq

The Renault Twingo Lecoq was a special edition produced in less than 50 units.

Electric

The French company Lormauto presented at the

2022 Paris Motor Show The 2022 Paris Motor Show (in French ''Mondial de l'automobile de Paris'' or ''Mondial de l'Auto'') is an international auto show, which was held from October 18 to October 23, 2022, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, in Paris, France. It ...

a kit to transform the Renault Twingo 1 into a fully electric car.

Second generation (2007)

After presenting an initial concept at the 2006 Mondial de l'Automobile, Renault debuted the production Twingo II at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show with French market trim levels named ''Authentique, Expression, Initiale, Dynamique'' and ''GT''. Using the floorpan of the

Renault Clio The Renault Clio () is a supermini car (B-segment), produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault. It was launched in 1990, and entered its fifth generation in 2019. The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, being consis ...

II, the Twingo II offered improved crash protection and was available in LHD & RHD configurations. Production began in France and subsequently moved to the

Revoz Revoz () is a manufacturing subsidiary of Renault in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. It is the only automaker in the country and one of its largest exporters. The company was established in June 1988 as a joint venture between Renault and Industrija Motor ...

plant in

Novo Mesto Novo Mesto (; sl, Novo mesto; also known by other alternative names) is a city on a bend of the Krka River in the City Municipality of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered t ...

, Slovenia. In January 2008, Renault debuted the Twingo Renaultsport 133, with a new 1,598 cc engine, at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. In August 2013, ordering and production of the 133 model ended. In July 2011, Renault debuted a facelifted Twingo II at the

Frankfurt Motor Show The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...

, featuring a design language subsequently used on their entire range and offering revised fascias as well as redesigned front and rear light clusters. On Series 14, Episode 4 of ''

Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...

'', presenter

Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' an ...

road tested the Twingo 133 on

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

streets and barrel rolled upside down through a sewage tunnel. After numerous accidents, he raced to catch a departing ferry, instead landing in the ocean. On 16 March 2011, the Renault Twingo won the "best city car award" in the Parkers' New Car Awards. Special editions included the Twingo Renaultsport Gordini; Twingo Gordini TCe 100; Twingo Bizu; Twingo Pzaz; Twingo Renaultsport Silverstone GP (UK-only); Twingo Miss Sixty; and Twingo Renaultsport Red Bull RB7. The Twingo II was licensed by

Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

Motor Co., Ltd. and sold exclusively through '' Nissan Store'' locations. ;Twingo II Safety

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...

results: * Adult Occupant: , score 28 (The model tested was not equipped with curtain airbags. Available as an option.) * Pedestrian: , score 11

Engines

Third generation (2014)

The third generation Renault Twingo debuted in March 2014 at the

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...

in a five-door, rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. It was co-developed with Daimler's third generation Smart Fortwo and second generation

Smart Forfour The Smart Forfour (stylized as "smart forfour") is a city car ( A-segment) marketed by Smart over two generations. The first generation was marketed in Europe from 2004 to 2006 with a front-engine configuration, sharing its platform with the Mitsub ...

. The third generation Twingo and second generation Forfour are manufactured at the same factory in

Novo Mesto Novo Mesto (; sl, Novo mesto; also known by other alternative names) is a city on a bend of the Krka River in the City Municipality of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered t ...

, Slovenia. The third generation Twingo entered into production in May 2014 at Novo Mesto and was launched into the European market in September.

Design and development

In March 2010, Renault and Daimler, as part of their existing partnership, announced "Project Edison", a collaboration aimed at conceiving a shared platform for small city cars to be used by both companies. The Edison platform was designed from the start for mounting either an

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combus ...

or an

electric motor An electric motor is an Electric machine, electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a Electromagneti ...

as main power source. The first cars using the platform were the third generation Twingo and the second generation

Smart Forfour The Smart Forfour (stylized as "smart forfour") is a city car ( A-segment) marketed by Smart over two generations. The first generation was marketed in Europe from 2004 to 2006 with a front-engine configuration, sharing its platform with the Mitsub ...

.

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

and

Daimler AG The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacture ...

invested equally during the research and development phase, with Renault subsequently specializing in the engines and Daimler in transmissions. Both companies tried to ensure a distinctive design. Renault designers took inspiration from the Renault 5 and the first generation Twingo. The car was originally launched with four colour options, as with the original Twingo. In January 2019, an updated Twingo was introduced with a new front fascia, cosmetic changes inside and out, and a new base 1.0 L engine; at the same time, declining sales in the UK (just 877 were sold in 2018) led Renault UK to discontinue marketing the right-hand-drive model.

Technical details

The Twingo III is about 10 mm shorter than the Twingo II. The rear engine layout improves the manoeuvrability and the cabin space, but reduced the boot capacity. The suspension is composed by

MacPherson struts The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...

on the front axle and a

De Dion tube De Dion rear axle A de Dion tube is a form of non-independent automobile suspension. It is a considerable improvement over the swing axle, Hotchkiss drive, or live axle. Because it plays no part in transmitting power to the drive wheels, it is ...

on the rear. The car uses a five-door architecture, which differs it from its three-door predecessors. Brakes are ventilated disks on the front and

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

s on the rear, except in the base model (SCe 70) which uses drum brakes all round. The bonnet features a special opening mechanism and allows only partial opening to give access to the windscreen washer fluid, brake fluid and coolant reservoirs, and to the battery.

Equipment

The car originally offered four trim levels: Expression, Play, Dynamique and Dynamique S with various customization packs. One option connects a smartphone with an instrument panel cradle (R&Go) and has an infotainment system (R-Link). Other levels such as the "Energy" trim have since been added. The GT model arrived in November 2016.

Safety

As standard, the car incorporates tyre pressure sensors,

seatbelt A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt red ...

reminders, four airbags and four head and chest side

airbags An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. T ...

. It achieved a four star

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...

test rating in 2014.

Engines

The car originally came with two three-cylinder petrol engines. A 0.9-litre turbocharged unit and a 1-litre atmospheric. Both are fitted low and in a 49-degree angle to increase boot's capacity. In November 2016 a more powerful version of the petrol engine, the TCe 110, arrived for the sporting Twingo GT model.

Advertising

In February 2014, Renault organised a "strip tweet" online event to promote the Twingo III. The manufacturer commissioned to

Publicis Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and public relations company. One of the oldest and largest marketing and communications companies in the world by revenue, it is headquartered in Paris. After 1945, the little-known Paris ...

the conception of the car's European advertising. Publicis hired French artists and animators Olivier Kuntzel and Françoise Deygas for the design of the visual campaign with the theme "Go Anywhere, Go Everywhere." In 2015, Renault released a short music video, "All new Twingo : Show me a car !", in which a ''twee'' styled woman is searching a ''nifty'' car. It ends with a reference to " Papa & Nicole" adverts for the

Renault Clio The Renault Clio () is a supermini car (B-segment), produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault. It was launched in 1990, and entered its fifth generation in 2019. The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, being consis ...

: "Papa! – Nicole? – Your seatbelt!". The brief video got a viral success in the United Kingdom, with approximately views in four weeks. A Pop Up Store was opened at the Crémerie de Paris. Bēhance produced Life Designed software as part of Twingo launch.

Reception and awards

In the United Kingdom, the new Twingo won the "City Car of the Year" 2014, ''TopGear Magazine Awards'', "City Car of the Year" in the ''UK Car of the Year Awards'' and "Best City Car" in the Daily Express 2014 Motoring Oscars, "Best City Car" at the 2015 British ''GQ Car Awards''. Paul Horrell of ''

Top Gear Magazine ''Top Gear'' is a British automobile magazine, owned by BBC Worldwide, and published under contract by Immediate Media Company. It is named after the BBC's ''Top Gear'' television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published ...

'' gave the car a score of seven out of 10, calling it: "a genuinely different approach to design and engineering that has brought real dividends, not just in being different for its own sake. Most important, it's much more fun than a base model supermini for the same cash." ''

Auto Express ''Auto Express'' is a weekly motoring magazine sold in the United Kingdom published by Autovia Limited. The editor-in-chief is Steve Fowler. History and profile Launched in September 1988, its 1,000th issue was published on 20 February 2008. ...

'' and its sister publication '' CarBuyer'' scored it four out of five stars, praising its manoeuvrability, design, and rear passenger space but criticizing its wind noise and high price compared to its rivals. ''

What Car? ''What Car?'' is a British monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Huntingford and published by Haymarket Consumer Media. Other team members include deputy editor Darren Moss and test editors Will Nightingale, Neil ...

'' gave the car three out of five stars, saying: "The Renault Twingo mixes cheeky retro styling with genuine practicality. It’s neither as refined nor as comfortable as the best city cars, though."

Concept cars

The third generation Twingo was previewed through two concepts, the Twin'Z and the Twin'Run.

Twin'Z

The Twin'Z is a

city car The A-segment is the 1st category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined. A-segment sales represent approx. 7-8% of the market in ...

concept Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...

unveiled in April 2013. Its styling was created in partnership with British designer

Ross Lovegrove Ross Lovegrove (born 1958 in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh artist and industrial designer. Biography Ross Lovegrove was born in Wales in 1958. He studied at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Metropolitan University), graduating with a Fi ...

. According to

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

's chief designer

Laurens van den Acker Laurens van den Acker (born 5 September 1965, Deurne, North Brabant) is a Dutch automobile designer. Biography Van den Acker studied at the Delft University of Technology, where he obtained a Master of Engineering at the Faculty of Industri ...

, the purpose of its introduction was to "break down the boundaries between the world of an object whose calling is to be in movement, the automobile, and that of furniture." The concept has a

rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout In automotive design, an RR, or rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bumper ...

and is powered by an

electric motor An electric motor is an Electric machine, electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a Electromagneti ...

with a power output and torque of . It has no

B-pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door Sedan (automobile), sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or Greenhouse (automotive), greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, ...

or dashboard and its doors open in conventional doors up front and

suicide door A suicide door is an automobile door hinged at its rear rather than the front. Such doors were originally used on horse-drawn carriages, but are rarely found on modern vehicles, primarily because they are perceived as being less safe than a fron ...

s in the rear.

Twin'Run

The Twin'Run is a rear wheel drive

hot hatch A hot hatch (shortened from hot hatchback) is a high-performance hatchback car. The term originated in the mid-1980s; however, factory high-performance versions of hatchbacks have been produced since the 1970s. Front-mounted petrol engines, ...

concept developed by Renault with assistance of Tork Engineering and Poclain Véhicules, unveiled in May 2013. It is powered by a mid-mounted

V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...

with , coupled to a twin clutch six speed sequential gearbox and limited slip differential. It has

double-wishbone A double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design for automobiles using two (occasionally parallel) wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckl ...

independent suspension Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in w ...

on both axles. The chassis is a

tubular steel Cold-formed steel (CFS) is the common term for steel products shaped by cold-working processes carried out near room temperature, such as rolling, pressing, stamping, bending, etc. Stock bars and sheets of cold-rolled steel (CRS) are common ...

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

inspired by the Mégane Trophy and

Renault 5 Turbo The Renault 5 Turbo or R5 Turbo is a sport hatchback automobile launched by the French manufacturer Renault at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1980. The car was primarily designed for rallying, but was also sold in a street version. A total o ...

Maxi from WRC.

Twingo E-Tech Électrique

After plans to roll out new electric vehicles, including an electric Twingo, were confirmed in September 2019, Renault announced the Twingo Electric, marketed as the Twingo Z.E. (Zero Emissions) and in France as the Twingo E-Tech Électrique, the first-ever

electric version ''Electric Version'' is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers. It was released on Matador Records and Mint Records on May 6, 2003. ''Electric Version'' placed at number seven in ''The Village Voice''s Pazz & ...

of its city car, in February 2020 at the

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...

. It is the second electric car from Renault, following the Zoe. The Twingo Z.E. drive train is based on that of the

Smart EQ Forfour The Smart Forfour (stylized as "smart forfour") is a city car (A-segment) marketed by Smart over two generations. The first generation was marketed in Europe from 2004 to 2006 with a front-engine configuration, sharing its platform with the Mitsubi ...

, with a larger battery. Renault CEO

Luca de Meo Luca de Meo (born 13 June 1967) is an Italian automotive executive who is currently the CEO of Renault. Early life and education Born in Milan in 1967 to parents originating from Locorotondo, de Meo received a degree in Business Administration fr ...

confirmed in 2021 the entire Twingo range would be discontinued after the third generation, driven in part by the forthcoming Euro 7 emissions standards, which will be implemented in 2025. It is expected the A-segment Twingo will be replaced by the larger B-segment Renault 5 EV. The starting price, announced the following September, was . It was not marketed in the United Kingdom, following Renault's withdrawal of the Twingo range from the UK market after the car model's face lift in 2019. A limited edition "Vibes" model, based on the regular "Intens" trim, was announced in July 2020; the special Valencia Orange color was only available for the Vibes limited edition, but the Vibes could also be specified for any regular production color, and was later made available for the conventional petrol-engines Twingo. Trim levels in 2022 included the Life (), Zen (), Intens (), and Urban Night (). Although the suggested retail price was high compared to a petrol-powered Twingo, the French government electric car subsidy of up to or 27% of the price made the cost of the electric version comparable. The car has a rated driving range of on the WLTP driving cycle (Full or City, respectively). The on-board charger, branded Caméléon, can accept AC electric supply at up to 22 kW; the lithium-ion battery, with 22 kW-hr capacity, incorporates lessons learned from the Renault Zoe. The battery itself weighs and is positioned beneath the front seats.
English translation: The vehicle is limited to AC charging sources only, as the vehicle supply interface port does not accept a DC fast charge plug. The rear-mounted R80 traction motor has an output of and , and the car has a

kerb weight Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity. Curb or kerb weight Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...

of . The top speed is , and can accelerate from 0– in 12.6 seconds. The default driving mode "D" emulates the behaviour of a petrol-powered car with moderate "engine braking" when the driver's foot is lifted from the throttle; a more aggressive and adjustable "B" regeneration mode is selectable, but does not allow one-pedal driving at the highest regeneration level. The base trim ("Life") was criticized for lacking expected basic features such as a radio and air conditioning; however, the lack of vibrations and abundant low-end torque from the electric traction motor were appreciated for city traffic. The Twingo Electric was marketed against other low-cost city cars, such as the base model of the Fiat New 500 and

Volkswagen E-up! The Volkswagen Up (stylized as Volkswagen up!) is a city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany (IAA). Production of the Up started in December 2011 at th ...

and the VW's rebadged versions, the

SEAT Mii The Volkswagen Up (stylized as Volkswagen up!) is a city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany (IAA). Production of the Up started in December 2011 at t ...

electric and

Škoda Citigo The Volkswagen Up (stylized as Volkswagen up!) is a city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany (IAA). Production of the Up started in December 2011 at th ...

-e iV; internally, the Twingo also competed with the Dacia Spring; compared to the VW and Dacia, the Twingo Electric offered a smaller driving range.

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Twingo The Renault Twingo is a four-seater passenger city car manufactured and marketed by the French auto-maker Renault, introduced in 1992 and currently in its third generation. The first generation Twingo (two door, front engine) debuted at the Pa ...

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