- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He
Renault Twingo. Mini dancer
The Renault Twingo is a subcompact A-segment passenger car (according to European classification), introduced in 1992. The energetic and memorable name Twingo is a combination of the words twist, swing and tango. The first and second generation is a front-wheel drive front-engined hatchback with 3 doors. The third generation Renault Twingo has five doors, rear-engine, and a rear-wheel-drive layout. This is a typical city car. It is compact, quick, agile, fuel-efficient and easy to park. The new Renault Twingo, built on the same platform as the Smart, is produced in Slovenia and is sold in Europe at a price of 10,900 euros.
The car is not officially sold in Israel, which is a pity… After all, happy owners don’t complain about the reliability of the car. It is stable and fuel-efficient, while its trunk has enough space for all the shopping bags and packages. This compact and dynamic car can be parked anywhere and in any manner you want. The interior of the model looks quite interesting and peculiar. Despite its compact dimensions, the interior is spacious enough for 4 passengers, including the driver. Plus, the Renault Twingo received high safety ratings in the crash test.
The first generation
The manufacturer started developing the Renault Twingo back in the 80s. The engineers were tasked to make the car cheaper than those available on the market. Finally, on October 5, 1992, the finished model was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and immediately became a real hit. 2,240 purchase orders were accepted. The first Twingo was distinguished by the central arrangement of the dashboard, bright body colors and a special interior design: the rear seats could move 17 cm, increasing the trunk or space for rear passengers. And this was relevant, because the car turned out to be quite small: length – 3,430 mm, width – 1,639 mm, height – 1,420 mm. The wheelbase was 2,345 mm.
The hatchback was powered by a 1.2-liter engine with 55 hp, coupled with a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission (a robotic gearbox appeared in 2000). In 1994, the manufacturer released the Easy version, equipped with a central locking system for door locks, front power windows, and power outside mirrors. Power steering and ABS were optional. From September 1995, driver and passenger airbags (optional) appeared. In July 1998, the Twingo was modernized for the first time, acquiring the redesigned interior, dashboard, front/rear optics, and bumpers. In April 2000, the second modernization took place, as a result of which the car received a new 1.2-liter 16-valve engine (D4F) with 75 hp. In September 2004, the third modernization took place.
The second generation
The second generation Renault Twingo was unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, and serial production began in 2007. The model could be equipped with 1.2-liter 16-valve (58, 75 hp) and 1.2-liter TCe gasoline engines (100 hp), as well as 1.5-liter diesel engines (64 hp), coupled with 5-speed manual transmission and EDC robotic gearbox. In July 2011, the updated Twingo was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show, sales of which started in early 2012. The car acquired new exterior design, new body colors, different finishing materials, a multimedia system with Bluetooth, USB and the ability to connect a GPS navigator. There were two diesel engines: dCi75 and Dci85, which met the Euro-5 toxicity standards. The hatchback became slightly longer (3,600 mm) and wider (1,655 mm), while its height and wheelbase didn’t change. The car also had a sports version Twingo Renaultsport, which amounted to 133 cars.
The third generation
The third generation Renault Twingo was created with due account for the contract with Daimler. Introduced in 2014, the car shared the platform with the third-generation Smart cars. This meant that both models had rear-engine and rear-wheel drive, but the exterior and interior were different. The new Twingo can be equipped with internal combustion engines (0.9 and 1.0-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engines) and with electric motors. The latter are complemented by Daimler’s batteries, while the electric motors and power electronics are manufactured by Renault-Nissan. In the summer of 2016, the range was supplemented by the GT version with a 110 hp engine, upgraded chassis and design differences.
2019 restyling
The new Renault Twingo is a modern stylish 5-door hatchback, featuring new optics with branded diode letters ‘C’, which makes the model look even better. It has different bumpers and taillights, and the air intake hole above the left rear wheel, which was tested on the GT version, has become standard. There are new shades in the body color palette and 1 cm lower ground clearance for better stability. The interior has been modernized and now features a new media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions.
The range of engines is the same, but with new power options: a 1-liter 3-cylinder SCe engine (70 hp) has been boosted to 65 and 75 hp. The turbocharged 3-cylinder TCe has been boosted from 90 to 93 hp. The engine is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, and a 6-speed EDC preselective robotic gearbox is offered for a turbocharged version (it was optional for both engines prior to restyling).
