Long gone are the days when Twingo I came into Malta in left-hand-drive format, with strange seats. If memory serves me well the rear seat squab folded up, allowing a most handy amount of room for life’s little pleas-urables to be carried inside the car. This third incarnation really is a brand-new car, and most interesting to drive.
I am always enthusiastic in this computer age when I come across innovative thinking, and Twingo III boasts a three-cylinder turbo-charged engine in the rear. Of course Renault is no stranger to rear-wheel drive, and in fact, soon after passing the driving test in 1955, I fell in motoring love with the 4cv, a delight of a car that was being energetically raced both in the UK and in France where it was entered in the 24-hour Le Mans.
Among others the Dauphine of 1960 and the very potent Dauphine Gordini of 1966 took my fancy, as did the 1969 Renault 8 Gordini. The mood shifted with the absolutely amazing Renault 5 Mk 1 Turbo. OK, the engine was midships rather than absolutely at the back, the handling was superb and I scared myself silly road-testing Frank Fenech’s model. The turbo lag was out of this world, and cornering became a short cut to heaven as the car had to be properly set up and a judicious amount of throttle applied while waiting for the various cogs to engage, hoping that when the engine speed and consequent car’s speed rose I didn’t simply fly off the Black Top.
This latest turbo-charged Twingo displayed no such vices. She has been co-developed with the Daimler Smart Division so that both Twingo III and Smart for Four share the same platform, and the platform has been so well developed that I could have sworn I was driving a red-blooded sportscar rather than an innocent four-seat saloon.
This can be partly explained by the fact that there is a wheel at each corner, cutting down most seriously on the bane of all good car designers, ‘unsprung weight’. The seats provide a clue as to the car’s possible potential as both front seats are almost sports-type buckets, providing fantastic grip for thighs and back. The suspension is one of my favourites, with a combination of Macpherson struts at the front and a DeDion tube at the rear, and to make sure that the enthusiastic driver doesn’t simply fall off the road the front ventilated discs work in complete accord with powerful drums at the rear. I stopped hard and fast in a totally straight line, hands off the wheel from the legal maximum with no suspicion of untoward movement. When pushed to the point where the back should be expected to swing, the suspension front to rear was so well balanced that any correction needed was almost subconscious.
Twingo III harks back in some respects to the Renault 5, and yet the profiles front back and sides are totally contemporary and a lot of ‘state-of-the-art’ engineering has gone into the design of this latest car. With a normally-mounted engine in the back, boot space would be compromised. The fact that this model of Twingo actually has a most usable rear boot is explained by the engine being cantered over by 49 degrees, sitting as low as possible.
The car feels ‘right’, no unpleasant surprises, and the ergonomics are excellent. Actually just what one would expect from a contemporary Renault. It’s unusual to find a small family car punching high above its weight, and this one comes with a sensible amount of standard equipment, including power steering, front electric windows, ABS, traction control, climate control and, a rarity in this type of car, a speed limiter. There are LED daytime running lights, with central locking standard. The state-of-the-art seat belts will be most helpful as will the four airbags, if push turns to shove turns to ‘bang’. For those into having electronic comforts there are USB, AUX, Bluetooth, Smartphone dock and APP.
She will be found sitting on 15-inch alloys which makes absolutely no difference to the rear parking sensors (the epitome of luxury in a small, easily- manoeuvrable car), lane assist, auto lights and auto wipers along with electric mirrors and a leather- covered steering wheel.
Verdict
Comfort
With firm, thigh- gripping front seats and great room at the back for two adults, the new Twingo is a four-star job.
Performance
Gone are the days when the Twingo seemed to be a farmer’s delight.
Cool
In abundance, exudes from every rivet.
Quality
Although the Twingo is the entry- level Renault, quality is there, just like the Clio.
At a glance
Top speed
165 km/h
0-100 km
10.8 seconds
Economy
4.3 litres per 100 km (66 mpg)
C02
99 g/km
Engine
898 cc, three cylinders turbocharged
Power
90 bhp
Maximum torque
135 Nm