Renaultsport built a real RS out of the previous Twingo RS.
It was a fantastic little car, but they also found out that the market for such a small, really sporty car,
isn't incredibly big. That's why the new Twingo won't be available as RS,
but it now has received a GT-treatment, which is good for 110 horsepower.
Also, it has a pretty exotic layout, because it's rear-engined with rear wheel drive.
This is Volkswagen's answer. The Up GTI, with a little bit more power.
It has a turbocharged 3-cylinder as well, but this is front-engined with front wheel drive...
And that makes this Up GTI the textbook example of a classic hot hatch.
A small car with a big engine, because the turbocharged 1.0-litre 3-cylinder in the front...
produces 115 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque, and for a car which is 3,5 metres long and which doesn't weigh 1.000 kg,
that's a lot. And it performs that way.
It's a nice and feisty car. You have to wait a little for the turbo to spool up,
which is around 2.000 RPM, and when it does, it absolutely goes.
It performs really well. It's connected to manual 6-speed gearbox,
which means it's the only Up with a sixth gear. The gear changes are exactly what you'd expect from a Volkswagen.
It's a little sharper than normal, but it's not like there's a lot of feeling to it.
It performs just fine, you can surprise people with your pace,
and the only downside to the drivetrain is the fact...
that it enhances the engine sound through the speakers, and they shouldn't have done that.
That feels incredibly fake, but again, the performance is very good.
Also, it produces the exact right amount of power. That's usually the problem with sporty A-segment cars;
the budget for development is relatively limited. You can't equip cars like this with LSD's and special suspensions et cetera,
you just can't do that, because it'll cost €35.000 and you can't ask that for a car like this.
They widened and lowered it a little, they stiffened the anti-roll bars,
but that's about it. So 115 horsepower is just right.
This is the amount of power it's able to process. You have to be careful with the throttle when exiting a corner,
because the 195-tires don't provide lots of traction.
It's able to process that 115 horsepower, and it's very fun to play with.
You can explore the limits of the car, and because it's not incredibly quick,
so you're able to enjoy playing with it. Also, even though the changes are simple,
but they work. There's lots of feedback in the steering, especially for a small car like this,
and that means it's incredible fun to play with. It doesn't roll, it's direct, it's exactly what a hot hatch should be.
It's also exactly what a GTI should be. It's not too fast,
you won't get spontaneous heart attacks from its speed or something, but it's fun.
It's exciting and incredibly accessible at the same time.
Then, this Twingo GT. This is the car which has the ingredients to be really exciting.
A short wheelbase, the engine is in the rear on top of the rear axle, so it's actually a pocket-sized 911.
And that comes with a risk. Because it has a short wheelbase and a center of gravity positioned in the back,
you'll have to be quick to catch it if it oversteers. That sounds very exciting and Renault clearly thought the same way.
That's why they've done everything to kill off all of the oversteer, and they went too far in that.
The only thing you now encounter is understeer. Or rather, you should encounter that if it wasn't for the ESP.
You can't turn it off, just like in the Up GTI, and it sounds rather logical.
However, the Up GTI lets you explore the limit a little, without it getting dangerous.
This ESP-system? If you dare to even go near the limit,
the ESP takes over and practically shuts down the engine. If you add the fact that there's only understeer in this chassis...
It makes it... Well... It just isn't a fun car to drive.
At the same time, The springs and dampers have been stiffened,
so it's rather uncomfortable as well. You're bumping your way across the motorway,
there's a lot of wind noises, the seats aren't nice...
The base of the Twingo just isn't good, and Renaultsport couldn't do anything about it.
This GT... It's not a fun car to drive unfortunately.
Luckily, the drivetrain is better than the drive. It's a 3-cylinder as well, albeit a little bit smaller.
It's a 0.9-litre instead of a 1.0-litre. That means it's a tad less powerful,
but let's be honest. You won't really feel the difference between 110 or 115 horsepower.
It's still rather quick, so that's not a problem.
On the plus side, the manual 5-speed gearbox is smoother than the 6-speed in the Volkswagen.
You can really feel it moving into gear, and that's very nice.
And the Twingo GT has another advantage; it's price.
It costs about €18.000 and that's €1.800 cheaper than the Up GTI, and that's quite a big difference in when you're talking figures like this.
On the other hand, the extra money you spend on the Up GTI,
is absolutely worth it when it comes to more driving pleasure. That means the Twingo GT in this comparison,
won't be the winner today.