The brand new Renault Twingo loves to show heads and tackle twisty roads. We give it a strive

The brand new Renault Twingo E-Tech is a breath of contemporary air within the small full-electric automobile market. With an exterior design that stands out from the group amongst trendy fashions whereas neatly referencing its unique 1992 incarnation, the fourth-generation 2026 automobile brings full electrification as customary, a driving functionality method past most house owners’ necessities and a terrific worth sub-£20,000 entry worth.

The excellent news began when the essence of the late 2023 idea was stored on the manufacturing mannequin unveiled in late 2025. Each give a pronounced nod to the Twingo Mk1’s key proportions and particulars (seen right here within the guise of Sabine Marcelis’s conceptual artwork Twingo from 2023). The variously compromised 2007 second-generation and 2014 third-gen fashions have been sensibly sidestepped. The brand new automobile got here with a zippy launch marketing campaign,’Twingomania’, that emphasised its compact city credentials.

Current and proper on the brand new Twingo Mk4 are the identical ‘smiling’ entrance headlight eyes because the Mk1’s – now with semi-circular white LED strips slightly than stable old style lamp items – however nonetheless with horizontal indicator lights instantly beneath.

The brand new Twingo’s sloping bonnet and windscreen additionally share virtually the identical angle line as much as the roof – just like the Mk1’s – however the brand new mannequin’s a lot greater 18-inch wheels are pushed to the sides of its longer general silhouette (now 3789mm versus the outdated automobile’s 3430mm).

The brand new automobile is wider and taller as properly – and with a extra sensible 4 passenger doorways slightly than two – however retains the compactness and proportional rightness of the unique sufficiently to face beside it with out the older mannequin outshining the brand new.

Inside, and upfront, there’s a good combination of analogue and digital controls. The centre display generally is a bit fiddle some – particularly the navigation – however you may all the time mirror your cell phone with Apple Automotive Play or related, and there are additionally bodily dials for aircon, plus a big crimson, spherical and proud hazard button that stands out towards the darkish center centre fillet of the dashboard (just like the outdated Mk1’s crimson button did on the centre console prime).

There are neat metallic painted accents inside the cabin that colour-match the outside, plus pleasing rectangular air vents with 4 white mini cross-shaped oblongs inside for adjusting route. Rectangular motifs abound all through the inside and exterior from storage trays to rear bumper stops.

Debossed Twingo logos and graphics additionally adorn the automobile’s ceiling and elsewhere to strengthen the mannequin’s particular branding past Renault to good impact. There’s little question sitting inside you’re in a Twingo, not any outdated Renault or certainly one other automobile from one other model.

Within the again, there are slidable rear seats, like the unique, which transfer 17cm backwards and forwards, to create considerably extra boot room if you happen to want it (360-1010 litres) and respectable sufficient rear leg room if you happen to don’t. Place both seat at its rear-most level, and a six-foot tall individual can sit behind one other six-footer with out a lot hassle.

On the technical facet, weight has been minimize all through, together with a lightweight and small 27.5 kWh LFP battery and varied aero methods just like the pronounced vertical fin at 12 o’clock on each round hind lights that contribute to 3-4 miles extra electrical vary per cost cycle, as a consequence of their air-channelling advantages. That’s essential as a result of the Twingo solely presents 163 miles of vary in whole, so each mile counts.

Undesirable security bleeps will be simply turned off with two faucets of 1 bodily button to the facet of the steering wheel and the driving expertise itself is simple and pleasingly shake, rattle and roll-free.

Certainly, the Twingo drives higher than it must for its anticipated city and suburban buyer and its ‘one-pedal’ operate – a brand new characteristic on this stage of automobile – makes driving simpler nonetheless and will be activated with the lefthand steering wheel-mounted paddle with three extra descending ranges of regenerative braking past.

General, it’s a beautiful little bit of product design set to search out many purchasers primarily based on appears to be like alone. Throw in stable operate, zero emissions and a really aggressive entry worth and it might be one of many gross sales hits of the yr.

The brand new Twingo goes on sale in continental Europe in 2026 and within the UK early 2027. Pre-orders are open now.

Renault Twingo E-Tech Electrical, from c£20,000, Renault.co.uk, @RenaultUK