The Twingo tests are in!

"tapzz" (tapzz) 08/28/2014 at 09:25 • Filed to: renault twingo

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And here's my one-stop roundup of all the Renault Twingo tests that are actually important. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parse it out to you one test at a time. Isn't your time more important?

So what did the British Journaille think of the innovative French* rear engine, rear wheel drive little shopper?

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "resolutely unremarkable to drive, barring its impressive turning circle"

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "Yes it may have a rear-engine rear drive set up like a Porsche 911, but don't go thinking this makes it in anyway sporty because this little Renault lacks the fun factor of a VW up! or a Hyundai i10."

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "Despite its resolutely ordinary set-up [...] the Twingo has some country road potential."

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "There's no oversteer. A non-switchable ESP is like some overzealous H&S officer in a hi-vis. But the layout still has advantages. The light nose means it's super-agile down twisty roads. The steering isn't corrupted by torque demands, so feels very pure."

My take: we'll have to wait a bit longer for the pocket hoon mobile we were all hoping for. A warm/hot version is clearly in the works, but they're figuring out how to do it. According to Autocar, bigger four cylinders simply won't fit, so they need to see whether the tce 90 engine can be tuned beyond 120 hp safely. If it can't, it'll be a "GT", if it can, it'll be a proper "RS"

The versions out now are focused on city car use: great packaging, super agile, and a driving set up to mimic as closely as possible the FF hatches that all of their customers will be familiar with. Can't argue with that.

I'm also wondering whether the fancy trim and engine tested by everyone here does it no favours. More than one tester complained about turbo lag, high price and unnatural feel from the variable rate power steering. Maybe driving the snot out of the unblown, conventionally steered base model is actually more fun. Won't be the first French* econobox for which that is true...

*on a shared German platform, made in Slovenia

Milky > tapzz 08/28/2014 at 09:54

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Tis a bit sad, I had really high hopes for this car. Not that I could ever own one, but the idea/concept seems awesome.

I hope they do a sport model ...

Cé hé sin > tapzz 08/28/2014 at 09:56

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I presume the same comments will apply to the Smart so.

The thought of a fun factor in an i10 puzzles me. I've driven the old one and the new one can't be that different. Can it?

tapzz > Milky 08/28/2014 at 10:06

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And if they won't –which seems unlikely given the potential–, I'm sure the tuners will!

tapzz > Cé hé sin 08/28/2014 at 10:13

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Yup, the forFour rolls off the same assembly line with the same platform and engines. The forTwo the US will get for certain might be somewhat different, though, since the wheelbase is shorter.

Can't say I've driven an i10 but the latest two generations of the rio/i10 platform have a reputation for being quite staggeringly better than previous iterations...

Svend > tapzz 08/28/2014 at 10:13

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I'm opening to the looks of the new Twingo and the engine in the rear still leaves full use of the boot.

The radiator and windscreen wash could probably of been moved further down the front like the Audi A2.

I can't find any pictures of what's under the 'bonnet'. I'm hoping a full size spare wheel at least.

tapzz > Svend 08/28/2014 at 10:23

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I'm also quite impressed with the flat loading floor you can get all the way to the dashboard if needed (2.3 m. long)