Renault Twingo – first drive

French car giant Renault dares to be different with the all-new Twingo.

Before the original Mini rewrote the small car rulebook in 1959, rear-engined runabouts were not unusual.

Since then they’ve become a rarity, so Renault’s decision to design the third generation Twingo with the engine in the back is brave and should be applauded.

The result is a cute, economical city car with an ace up its sleeve – you’ll be hard put to find an easier car to park.

You see, by shifting the engine to the back (it sits under the rear luggage compartment) the front of the car is freed up for the wheels to do their thing.

And it has to be said, the class-leading 8.6-metre turning circle is mightily impressive. I found a large car park and gave it a go – the turning circle is so tight, it’s almost beyond belief. Renault has cleverly combined this party trick with light steering and excellent visibility.

Mark my words, the guy that does those stunt-parking demonstrations at events is sure to switch car after he’s tried a Twingo…

Remarkably, the new Twingo is also 10cm shorter than its predecessor, yet has a 12cm longer wheelbase.

Renault has also followed the personalisation trend, offering a multitude of colours, trim and optional extras.

The choice of engines (both three-cylinder petrol) is a little simpler – there are just two for now. A non-turbo 1.0-litre or a turbocharged 0.9-litre, which is the range-topper. Both send their power to the rear wheels via a decent five-speed manual gearbox.

Inside, there’s ample room up front and two full-sized adults can squeeze in the back – no different to any other cars in the class. The plastics and fabrics used inside could be classier, but they’re not cheap either.

The boot shelf is a little higher than most of its competitors because the engine is slung below, but there’s still space for shopping or a couple of weekend cases.

The rear seats fold flat 50/50 and the front passenger seat folds down too for extra luggage space.

Up front the driving position is high, but you’ll have to pay for a higher spec if you want to adjust the driver’s seat. There’s a simple large dial up ahead and the usual steering wheel switches, while the centre console houses a phone dock which allows you to use your Android and iPhone as a sat nav, media interface or even a rev counter via a free “R & Go” app.

I expected a little extra luggage space under the front bonnet, but sadly it just houses the battery, coolant and windscreen washer reservoirs. Oh, and opening the bonnet involves pulling a couple of fiddly clips. The oil top-up and dipstick can only be accessed by lifting the panel between the luggage space and engine at the rear.

The Twingo is easy to drive and makes a great city car choice, but it’s slightly lacking in the fun department. I found the 1.0-litre sluggish and the 0.9 turbo much livelier, though the power delivery isn’t the smoothest. It’s amazing how an engine and higher trim level (including a chunky leather steering wheel) can transform a car. However, I have experienced lustier 1.0-litre three-cylinder engines.

On the plus side, both engines are frugal and capable of as much as 65mpg.

I’m sure bigger engines and automatic transmission will come along in time, but for now, the Twingo offers an interesting option in the competitive city car sector where clones rule – triplets from the VW group (VW Up!, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii) and Peugeot-Citroen-Toyota (108, C1 and Aygo) to name but a few.

The Twingo range starts at £9,995 and is backed by a four-year/100,000-mile warranty and four years’ roadside cover.

I drove a red Twingo Play SCe 70 (1.0-litre) which was £10,650 with optional extras and a white Twingo Dynamique Energy TCe 90 Stop & Start – £12,565 with extras.