Fun in a Twingo
Renault Twingo Dynamique 1.2
The weatherman played his usual tricks on the morning I took out the new Renault Twingo. Horribly overcast, it was hot enough for air conditioning to be necessary. It was summer, finally.
I was handed the keys to a black Twingo DY (short for Dynamique). The 1.2-litre, 16V three-door model, boasts 75 bhp and is quite enough for local conditions and what the car tries to be.
You are one of many local drivers. Your driving is characterised by short trips with two, one, or probably no passengers most of the time. There's shopping to be done for the family, and children to ferry around. So what do you need in a car? Safety, I regularly argue, must be your top priority.
That means pro-active and preventative. Renault's Twingo earned a 4-star Euro NCAP safety rating. What I consider safe, however, is not how the car will react in case of an accident, but rather how well I will be able to handle the car before the accident happens. I feel safe when I get into a car for the first time - adjust my seat, the steering wheel and mirrors - and feel as though I am driving my own car.
The same way, I try parking for the first time and feel like it is effortless. I can honestly I say that I don't recall ever feeling so comfortable so quickly during a test drive.
My journey that day took me first to Marsascala to pick up the long-legged photographer (let's call her Ms Incorporated) who promptly told me "my legs fit in here... that's your first good point". We then headed to Luxol for a photo shoot.
There are two models available: the 'standard' AU (Authentique) which offers ABS, air-conditioning, remote central locking, colour-coded trim, electric windows, driver and passenger airbags, height adjustable steering wheel, and tinted glass. The engine on offer is a 1.2-litre 8V petrol churning out 60 bhp;14-inch alloy wheels are optional on this model.
The DY also offers a rev counter, sports seats, front side airbags and rear individual sliding seats (truly comfortable and offer ample leg room). There is an optional sunroof with blind and 15-inch alloy wheels for this version, while metallic paint is an option on either model.
I don't particularly like the digital tachometer in the middle of the dashboard, and think that the only storage space on the top of the dashboard should be on the passenger side, rather than behind the steering wheel.
The engine struggles slightly with acceleration with the air-conditioning on, but considering it's a 1.2-litre petrol on a car that weighs almost 1.4 tonnes, that's more than sufficient.
The car's plus points? Some of the easiest parking one can wish for, coupled with the choice of increasing boot space without forfeiting rear passenger comfort. Furthermore, the response and handling are about as good as you could expect from a car in this segment.
Now all we need is for Mr Government to decide on those tax revamps to stop choking the local automotive industry. Till then, the entry level price is just shy of €13,000 (roughly Lm5,500 for those who still think in old money).
At a glance
• Wheel base: 2,367 mm
• Turning circle: 9.85(AU)/10.55(DY) m
• Weight: 1,345/1,370 kg
• Boot space: 165-959 litres
• Consumption: 7.1/7.5 litres/100km (urban)
• CO2 emissions: 132/135 g/km
• Length: 3,600 mm
Width: 1,654 mm
I was handed the keys to a black Twingo DY (short for Dynamique). The 1.2-litre, 16V three-door model, boasts 75 bhp and is quite enough for local conditions and what the car tries to be.
You are one of many local drivers. Your driving is characterised by short trips with two, one, or probably no passengers most of the time. There's shopping to be done for the family, and children to ferry around. So what do you need in a car? Safety, I regularly argue, must be your top priority.
That means pro-active and preventative. Renault's Twingo earned a 4-star Euro NCAP safety rating. What I consider safe, however, is not how the car will react in case of an accident, but rather how well I will be able to handle the car before the accident happens. I feel safe when I get into a car for the first time - adjust my seat, the steering wheel and mirrors - and feel as though I am driving my own car.
The same way, I try parking for the first time and feel like it is effortless. I can honestly I say that I don't recall ever feeling so comfortable so quickly during a test drive.
My journey that day took me first to Marsascala to pick up the long-legged photographer (let's call her Ms Incorporated) who promptly told me "my legs fit in here... that's your first good point". We then headed to Luxol for a photo shoot.
There are two models available: the 'standard' AU (Authentique) which offers ABS, air-conditioning, remote central locking, colour-coded trim, electric windows, driver and passenger airbags, height adjustable steering wheel, and tinted glass. The engine on offer is a 1.2-litre 8V petrol churning out 60 bhp;14-inch alloy wheels are optional on this model.
The DY also offers a rev counter, sports seats, front side airbags and rear individual sliding seats (truly comfortable and offer ample leg room). There is an optional sunroof with blind and 15-inch alloy wheels for this version, while metallic paint is an option on either model.
I don't particularly like the digital tachometer in the middle of the dashboard, and think that the only storage space on the top of the dashboard should be on the passenger side, rather than behind the steering wheel.
The engine struggles slightly with acceleration with the air-conditioning on, but considering it's a 1.2-litre petrol on a car that weighs almost 1.4 tonnes, that's more than sufficient.
The car's plus points? Some of the easiest parking one can wish for, coupled with the choice of increasing boot space without forfeiting rear passenger comfort. Furthermore, the response and handling are about as good as you could expect from a car in this segment.
Now all we need is for Mr Government to decide on those tax revamps to stop choking the local automotive industry. Till then, the entry level price is just shy of €13,000 (roughly Lm5,500 for those who still think in old money).
At a glance
• Wheel base: 2,367 mm
• Turning circle: 9.85(AU)/10.55(DY) m
• Weight: 1,345/1,370 kg
• Boot space: 165-959 litres
• Consumption: 7.1/7.5 litres/100km (urban)
• CO2 emissions: 132/135 g/km
• Length: 3,600 mm
Width: 1,654 mm