New Renault Twingo revealed

Details and pictures of the brand-new Renault Twingo have been revealed – two decades after the original city car went on sale in Europe in 1993.

New Renault Twingo specs

As with the modern-day MINI, Fiat 500 and Vauxhall Adam, Renault has focused on personality and customisation with the new Twingo. It features some striking colours, interchangeable door mirrors, side panels and stickers, as well as the option of a full-length opening roof. This should renew its appeal across a wide range of potential buyers, and help it to compete with the current crop of brilliant city cars including the Hyundai i10 and Skoda Citigo.

Laurens van den Acker, head of industrial design at Renault, said: “The new Renault Twingo was inspired not only by the original Twingo but also by the Renault 5. It is a modern take on the city car genre with the accent on innovation in terms of its lines and architecture. New Twingo is a fun, playful and vibrant city car.”

Unlike the old Renault Twingo, the new model will only be available as a five door. However, as with many new cars (including the current Renault Clio), the rear door handles are hidden behind the car’s window to give it a sleeker, more stylish look.

Standard equipment should include LED daytime running lights, mobile phone connectivity and optional satellite-navigation. As with the exterior, there will be a number of personalisation options available inside the car, too.

New Renault Twingo interior

The extra doors make the Twingo more practical than before, while inside there’s loads of space for four adults thanks to a completely new layout. Unlike any other city car on the market, Renault has fitted the engine behind the rear seats – freeing up interior room and making the car more fun to drive.

Specific details on bootspace and interior dimensions haven’t yet been revealed, but should be available closer to the car’s reveal at the Geneva Motor Show next month. However, with the engine mounted at the rear, and the front taken up with parts like the windscreen washer and oil reservoir, it is likely to be rather small.

New Renault Twingo engines

The new Renault Twingo has been developed with help from Daimler AG, which owns both Mercedes and Smart. As a result, the Twingo’s underpinnings and mechanical parts will also feature in the forthcoming Smart ForTwo – a car that will be available with two or (for the first time) four seats.

Information on engines, performance and running costs will be revealed soon, but we expect the new Twingo to benefit from existing engines in the current Renault range. It is likely to use the 74bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine from the Renault Clio, as well as the smaller but more powerful 89bhp TCe turbocharged engine. Thanks to its size, the Twingo should manage more than 60mpg, and emit less than 100g/km of CO2.

New Renault Twingo price and release date

No details on the car's price or release date have been revealed yet. The current car costs from £10,715, so we expect the new model to start at less than £11,000 - putting it in direct competition with the Vauxhall Adam (from £11,405) and Fiat 500 (from £10,160).

We’ll have more information about the car in the coming weeks, with a full reveal at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Until then, make sure you take a look at our dedicated Renault reviews page.