With the third-generation Twingo, Renault took a blank slate and completely rewrote it and offered it to customers. The rear engine and rear drive bring a lot of new things, but you get used to them quickly. And when it does, you'll love the Twingo. Especially with city agility, which is unmatched, and the turbo three-cylinder is the icing on the cake, because with it, the twingo is jumpy and ready to jump out of town. It is true, however, that the twingo is not frugal, and in this case the price, which forces it against the clio, is above expectations.
Third generation Twingo it brings as much new as only rare models when changing, because they are, like that engine as a drive, moved to the rear axle, but at the same time, it brings so much innovation both in terms of design and content that the twingo of the second generation is just a distant memory. You will look for affinities with the predecessor in vain, and this was also the intention of the designers.
From a design point of view, the body is much more stylishly tailored than before and above all, it looks like the designers got a lot better luck. Affinities with Fiat 500 there's no denying it, especially when viewed from the side, and there are nice details in many places on the exterior that raise its image and price. Reinforced by dynamique equipment and sports package, brings to the table attractive stickers on the side, white-clad side mirrors and a large rear spoiler, which turns the heads of both young and a little less young, both women and those real "kids", because last but not least, it also looks sporty.
The characteristic short nose is now even shorter and the slope of the engine cover is sharper or more inclined, and the front part as a whole is characterized by pleasing LED daytime running lights and large main ones, and the mask also boasts a large brand badge. From the side, the kinship with the aforementioned is even more obvious, but it is true that it is from the side maybe a little excessively cube shaped, a little roundness wouldn't hurt here. For the sake of sportiness, the hooks for entering the second row have been pleasantly hidden in the frame of the rear window, which is only laterally movable, which is also the current trend in this segment (most likely because it is cheaper).
Rear is again a mix of sportiness and fashionable elegance, the glass rear window is pleasing to the eye, which makes the whole thing even more elegant, but it is true that opening the trunk is not the easiest and sometimes even a clean task. Namely, the button is placed (too) low, as a result, hands tend to get dirty. The remote opening button is a bit capricious, as sometimes it does nothing despite pressing it for several seconds.
Even inside, the designers apparently had a fair bit of freedom, as the cabin is beautifully designed, with an emphasis on color and high-gloss plastics. Both raise the image and impression that it is a more expensive car than it really is. The first thing the observer notices is the attractive dashboard and seats with one-piece backrests, as well as quality upholstery and materials.
Designers have also excelled in many details in the domain of even greater utility or likability and fashion. The former includes a length-adjustable center armrest, while the latter includes, for example, a compartment in front of the passenger that you can easily take with you, and in the middle under the center console is another one, which we called a small cooler bag, because of its shape and functionality is reminiscent of this excursion accessory. Ergonomics is much better than its predecessor, otherwise it has certain peculiarities and (here and there) some shortcomings. Only smartphone holder or navigation is installed in such a way that it obscures the view of certain buttons on the radio (mainly for selecting a station), which can sometimes cause the driver to take his eyes off the road. However, the holder is extremely useful, as you can attach practically any smartphone to it, with the exception of some of the largest ones, e.g. galaxy note.
From the point of view of equipment, the twingo with the dynamique equipment package brings everything you expect and need in this segment, as well as many flowers that you do not expect and that exceed the limits of the segment. Among the first are, for example, alloy wheels, an audio device with switches on the steering wheel and bluetooth, somewhere on the border there are automatic air conditioning and, say, cruise control, which exceeds the limits of the class in which it is driven. system for detecting the direction of travel, which is practically unique in the segment. So we mostly missed the parking aids at the back, even though the twingo is well-transparent and due to the steeply cut rear, it is not difficult to determine the boundaries, and parking is an easy rule, and the more demanding ones could also stretch out for one of the extras on the list of extras navigation, which are not excessively expensive.
At the first test on the route between the Revoz factory and Otočca, we tested a weaker version SCe70, which is capable of exactly the kind of cavalry that the name suggests, after testing the test twinga TCe 90, but we have to admit that we would want this engine and no other. 0.9 literi turbo three cylinder, which develops 68 kW or 90 hp, it often manages to bring a smile to the driver's face, because despite its small volume and (only) three cylinders, it is capable of concrete performance and agility, which is largely thanks to the turbine. Driven like this, it is (easily) a real urban mini-rocket, when starting from a traffic light, the vehicle accelerates quickly, as it can easily reach speeds of over 40 km/h in first gear. When you jump outside the city, the additional help is even more familiar, as the accelerations are significantly better, and overtaking on AC is more realistic, and you are calmer at the same time. With this sea, you can easily jump to Maribor or to the coast and you will not be forced to stick to the lane like a drunkard. Only other road users will not have that "respect" for you and they know how to signal you to give way to them. But it is a twingo with its cube shape quite sensitive to crosswinds, like a much larger minivan, say espace, which you have to be careful about, especially at the beginning.
Regarding consumption, TCe expected it's not a sparrow, it is consumption between 6.5 and seven liters more than we expected. Even with moderate driving (or conscious saving) you can hardly get it below the 6.5 liter limit, the ECO button and start&stop system they do not act to help excessively.
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What about the price? 12 thousand for what it costs without discounts, the twingo with the TCe 90 engine and the dynamique package does not seem cheap, even if it is where most of the competition is. However, it is true that with the comfort and sport package it increases by a good thousand and lands at a good 13, which is no longer small. A thousand higher, the equally motorized and equipped clio breathes by the neck, but it brings an even greater degree of practicality. This also counts for a lot.
More information about the model: www.renault.si/novi_twingo
Price of the test model: 11,990 euros (basic) / 13,150 euros (test)
