1990s retro is in, and there’s more than just baggy jeans making a comeback.
The new Renault Twingo E-Tech is heavily inspired by the first-generation Twingo, launched in 1992 as a new entry-level city car for the French brand.
It’s set to be released in Europe in early 2026, but it’s unclear if the Slovenian-built electric micro car will come Down Under. We’ve contacted Renault Australia for comment.
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Ironically, the original Twingo was developed as a replacement for the Renault 4, which has also been revived as an electric city car.
Renault now has a trio of small electric vehicles (EVs) inspired by models from decades past: the 4, inspired by the original model that entered production in 1961; the 5, inspired by the original that ran from 1972 to 1996; and the Twingo.
The Twingo is the most affordable of the French brand’s three compact EVs, none of which has been confirmed for our market, with Renault confirming starting price below €20,000 (A$35,648) excluding any subsidies – around €5000 less than the cheapest 5 in France, and €10,000 less than the most affordable 4.
Unlike the 4 and 5, the Twingo nameplate never really went away. But the second-generation (2007) model was a conservative redesign, while the third-generation made a departure by moving to a rear/mid-engine, rear-wheel drive platform shared with small car specialist Smart.
Now, like Smart, the fourth-generation Twingo has gone electric-only. It’s based on the new AmpR Small EV platform shared with the 4 and 5, though it has been optimised for affordability – for example, while it shares its front axle with the 4 and 5, it shares its rear one with the Captur.
First previewed by a concept in 2023, the Twingo E-Tech features a single electric motor producing 60kW of power and 175Nm of torque, resulting in a claimed 0-100km/h time of 12.1 seconds.
It’s powered by a 27.5kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery sourced from Chinese battery giant CATL.
Renault says this gives the Twingo E-Tech WLTP range of up to 263km. It can be charged at up to 6.6kW on AC power, with 11kW AC and 50kW DC charging being optional via an Advanced Charge pack.
This also brings vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability, allowing you to power external electrical appliances and even send power to your home.
The Twingo E-Tech measures 3789mm long, 1720mm wide and 1491mm tall on a 2493mm wheelbase, making it over 300mm longer and almost 100mm wider than the original Twingo, and still 199mm longer than the previous generation.
Down back, there’s 305 litres of boot space, expanding to over 1000L with the rear seats folded.
Renault lists a base weight for the Twingo E-Tech of just 1200kg.
Unlike the original Twingo, the new car features a five-door (instead of three-door) hatchback body.
It follows the same one-box template as the original Twingo, and features a similarly expressive front fascia with arched, eye-like headlights. The asymmetrical bonnet details are also a nod to the original, as is the big hazard light button inside.
The Twingo rides on 16-inch wheels, though 18-inch ‘diamond-cut’ alloys are optional.
Renault says that “contrary to popular belief, the current size of the A segment is not a reflection of low demand”, arguing Europeans are “still looking for compact, affordable vehicles, designed for urban living or for use as a second car”; this segment has been abandoned in recent years by the likes of Peugeot and Citroen.
The cabin is full of clever touches. The front passenger seat folds flat, while there are two independent sliding seats in the rear, as with the original Twingo. There are also splashes of colour, in proper 1990s city car fashion, with oblong dashboard and door trim elements colour-matched to the exterior.
The 10-inch touchscreen features Renault’s OpenR infotainment system with Google built-in, allowing owners access to embedded Google apps like the Google Assistant and Google Maps.
A wide variety of apps can be downloaded via the Play Store, including streaming apps like HBO Max.
The Twingo E-Tech also features a virtual assistant which you can use to, for example, schedule a charge and ask owner’s manual questions.
The company says it developed the Twingo E-Tech to have a carbon footprint 60 per cent smaller than a comparably sized combustion-powered city car.
Development work was carried out not only in Europe but also at the Renault Group’s R&D centre in Shanghai, China, and through this cross-functional collaboration it says it shaved a year off the Twingo E-Tech’s design time.
Renault is keeping the Twingo simple: it’ll be offered in just four body colours at launch, compared with 10 for its predecessor, with buyers able to choose between Absolute Red, Absolute Green, Mango Yellow and Starry Black.
Standard in the base Twingo E-Tech Evolution are the following features:
- 6 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Driver attention monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Rear parking sensors
- 16-inch wheels
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Manual climate control
- Height-adjustable driver’s seat
- Individually sliding rear seats
The top-spec Techno adds:
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- One-pedal drive mode
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Automatic high-beam
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- Folding front passenger seat
- Digital rear-view mirror
- Google built-in
- Automatic climate control
Other available features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and safe exit warning, plus a six-speaker Arkamys sound system.
The original Twingo went on sale in 1993 with an adorable animated advertising campaign that highlighted its cute styling, featuring an expressive ‘face’ and wheels pushed out to each corner.
Renault also engineered its new city car to have a comfortable ride and practical cabin, and employed various cost-cutting moves to make the car as simple and affordable as possible.
Like the original, the new Twingo slots in under the larger Clio; the latest generation of Renault’s Toyota Yaris rival is priced from €19,900 (A$35,468) in Europe.
