Let's start today with a little 'Nice to Know'...
Did you know that the name Twingo has its origin in a combination of the dance styles Twist, Swing and Tango?
That's nice to know, because our fellow-Dutchman Laurens van den Acker came to Renault to give a twist on the little car, to make it swing a little more.
And this... is the result!
We should be glad that Van den Acker and his team have fiddled with the Twingo.
After the somewhat boring pre-facelift car, this 'Phase Deux' is a much nicer car to look at.
The nose screams for attention with a huge logo and two spots that function as foglights.
The bootlid is now decorated with these funky lamp units.
And the Twingo surprises us with colourful accents in several places.
Furthermore, the interior is a little more funky than before. Not that is was a very dull place anyway...
Now you can get these parts in happier colours and the aircon switches have a brighter colour than before.
By the way, before you start about it in the comments, this is a preproduction car.
Which means you get an after market radio and manual aircon. When you order a Dynamique like this one...
you get a nice built-in radio and automatic climate control.
Ah would you look at this! Nice little edges on the carpets. I bet a lot of female buyers get a kick out of that.
Let's be honest, this car is as masculine as lipstick, but it does have a original and nice feel inside.
Which doesn't mean there is nothing wrong with this interior. First of all, the seating position is still a bit awkward.
You sit a bit high and the steering wheel is a bit flat, as if you're driving a little van.
And then - I shouldn't do this while driving - you can only adjust the wheel in height. Nothing unique in this segment, but it could be better.
Then the dashboard is a bit strange. You have a rev counter on the steering column and a big clock in the middle.
I'm not a huge fan of it. It's a bit unorganised and you don't get a lot of info from the system.
But hey, at least it's original and different!
This car doesn't only feel like a small van, it really IS!
This luxurious Dynamique version features two separate rear seats that slide to create more leg room.
Or you can fold them away to create a impressive loading capacity. At least for this class. Smart car!
I'm positive about the way this car drives. Especcially for an A-segment car this Twingo is a very smooth drive.
Not soft, but very easy-going. In this case that makes this car feel very grown up.
Compared to other competitors it's not as jumpy and nervous to drive. And I like that.
Less positive I feel about the brakes. It needs a lot of pedal pressure to slow down properly.
And the steering is a bit light. Still, the Twingo stays on track in a good way. Well done.
This particular Twingo has a Diesel engine and that sounds like an awkward choice in this part of the market.
But I would really recommend this engine for this car. A while ago, we tested the 1.2 16V and that lacked power in the lower rev range...
This one doesn't. Look at that, a roundabout in third gear without any problems.
And another big advantage are the low revs at highway speeds. That makes this a relatively quiet option in this segment.
When the pre-facelift Twingo was launched, Renault no longer offered a folding roof.
While just that opening roof was such a funny option on the very first Twingo!
So the customers started to complain: 'We want that roof back!'
So what did Renault do? Yes sir, the folding open roof is back! And if you ask us, just that is enough to make the Twingo a funky little car all over again!
+ He's different again! + Smooth, comforting ride - Awkward seating position - Limited info on dashboard