What’s hot?

• Renault has massively improved the looks of the Twingo versus its lacklustre predecessor. Sharper style and bright range of colours give it a strong personality, inside and out.
• The rear-engine configuration not just has enthusiasts excited, it brings several real world benefits too. It allows the car to be completely repackaged with bigger cabin (but shorter overall length) .Renault claims the new Twingo has 33 cm more room in the four seat cabin compared to the outgoing conventional Twingo Mk 2.
• With engine at the rear, Renault has been able to engineer the Twingo’s steering so that it has a claimed best-in-class turning circle of just 8.59 metres. Thus making the new Twingo unusually manoeuvrable and easy to park. Perfect, the, for the city. .
• Decent real world luggage space in the back (188 litres), despite the engine sitting below the floor…going up to a max 980 litres by folding the rear seats. 52 litres of personal storage space in the cabin.
• It’s the first Twingo to have five doors, so upping day to day practicality. A fold front seat is another standard feature.
• A comfortable, supportive driving position with the new Twingo and excellent all round visibility.
• Downsized three cylinder 898 cc turbo engine revs keenly and smoothly. Just 90 bhp on tap but good torque (135 Nm) peaking at 2500 rpm.
• Twingo is stable at speed and has good body control, ride and grip.This top TCe 90 edition also has the benefit of sharper, variable ratio steering versus the SCe 70.
• Standard smartphone-operated R&Go infotainment system keeps the Twingo connected.
• Three trim levels – Expression, Play and Dynamique – coupled with wide range of personalisation means no two Twingos may be exactly alike…
• Low company car tax of £279, or £23.25 per month, for a 20% tax payer will go a long way to making the Twingo cheap to run.

What’s not?

• Life in the back is a touch cramped for adults, with the tall front seat backs blocking off much of the forward view.
• Cool bright colours inside but some of the dash plastics could be higher quality. Also, is the steering wheel too big?[contentblock id=10 img=gcb.png]
• The Twingo seems premium priced for its class (our test car with options came in at £12,935). Some rivals, like the VW up! and Renault’s own Clio, can be bought for less.
• No diesel or three-door options, although in this class, it’s said these would likely be of minority interest only, even if they were available.