Renault Twizy Urban business car test review

Car review: Richard Lofthouse

What is it?

Renault’s boldest addition to its range of 100% electric vehicles. The Twizy is so small that you can park three of them in a conventional parking space, yet it still retains seating for two and has four wheels. Above all, it is partly open to the elements and therefore offers a decisively different interpretation of urban transport, plus typically flamboyant Renault styling.

The Twizy, intended exclusively for local or urban use, boasts a range of 61 miles and a maximum top speed of 50 mph, and costs from £6,690OTR.

What’s hot?

• With zero emissions this is a tax and congestion charge-free vehicle
• …and Renault claim that a full charge from a domestic three pin socket takes 3.5 hours and costs £1.50
• The deliberately avant-garde styling turns the Electric Vehicle sector on its head
• The driving experience brings an instant smile to you face. The Twizy is incredibly agile, fast off the line, a genuine alternative for commuters who find cars cumbersome and scooters dangerous
• The Twizy will breeze the tiniest of car parking spaces, measuring just 2.34 metres long, 1.24 metres wide
• With driver airbag, auto transmission and a 6.8 metre turning circle, the Twizy reflects a complete package from Renault
• There’s the benefit of zero company car tax (until 2015)
• Residual values look good because the battery is leased not owned. It is automatically upgraded as replacements improve
• Renault are backing the car with a four year, 100,000 mile warranty and free servicing, and by the end of the year any Renault dealer will be able to support it

What’s not?

• Even with the optional, £545 scissor doors, the Twizy is not closed to the elements and therefore impractical unless you have a garage…
• …which most urban commuters do not. Neither can they stretch the 3 metre charging cord from street to a first floor flat
• The £40-60 monthly battery lease charge mimics the mobile phone model, but is an additional cost nonetheless
• With one cramped passenger seat and no storage to speak of, this is not a car for the school run, nor even the grocery run
• The optional, £110 ‘blanket’ is essential to protect occupants from the elements, but feels like an afterthought
• The panoramic glass roof is a core feature, but not available until later this year

Business Car Manager Road Test Verdict

Renault is to be applauded for its courage in bringing so much panache to a sector previously dominated by the un-cool Reva G-Whiz. If anyone can turn the image of electric vehicles around, Renault can. The Twizy is like nothing else you’ve seen. At first glance it is tiny – much smaller than the Smart car, for instance. But drive the thing in its natural, urban environment, and it rewards straightaway. The dynamics are fantastic, and the 0-28mph time of 6.1 seconds feels fast.