Cute, characterful and charming - The electric Renault Twingo has arrived!

The original ‘90s Twingo was an instant hit and with its cheeky charms and petite proportions it put the joie de vivre into driving. Now it’s back for an all-electric age looking as cute and characterful as ever. Following in the footsteps of the Renault’s successful reincarnation of the Renault 5 and Renault 4, the new Twingo will be hoping to make a splash with its modern tech, practical interior and by being one of the cheapest electric cars on the market – no wonder Renault is calling it as a “gamer-changer”.
• The Twingo will be the smallest car in Renault’s line-up, sitting below the Renault 5 and the Clio in terms of size • It will feature Google-powered tech, nifty interior accessories and bright colour-pop paintwork • With a range of up to 163 miles • Expected to arrive next year • Renault promises a sub-£20,000 starting price

This production-ready Twingo looks remarkably like the concept car we first saw back in 2023, and it takes heavy inspiration from the 1990s car. Renault repeatedly uses words like ‘cheerful’, ‘expressive’ and ‘joyful’ to describe the vibe and it says the Twingo is “designed to be a bubble of energy”. We can see where it is coming from the with curvy shape and large half-moon LED lights giving the car a distinctive doe-eyed look. Just like the original car, the Twingo E-Tech will be available in a range of bold paint options including Absolute Red, Mango Yellow and Absolute Green with colour matched interior features. The Twingo will be built in Slovenia, and it was designed in France with Chinese collaboration aiding development so it could be brought to market within two years.

Inside Renault has upped the fun factor with a range of quirky details. These include a dashboard to match the exterior paintwork, a headliner featuring the ‘Twingo alphabet’, a reminder on the tailgate to be “ouvert d’esprit” (or open-minded) and handy YouClip anchor points to attach accessories like you’ll find in the latest Dacias. Being electric has allowed Renault to maximise interior space and the two rear seats slide independently to add flexibility. We’re also pleased to see they’ll be a smattering of physical controls so you will be able to adjust the temperature without going into a touch-screen.

How much tech will the Twingo get?

Tech-wise you’ll get all the usual driving assistance aids including adaptive cruise control and alerting to prevent you reversing into oncoming traffic. There’ll also be a useful ‘My Safety Switch’ shortcut which can be configured to turn any unwanted safety systems off. UK specifications have yet to be finalised, but we do know there will be a digital driver display paired with a 10-inch central touch-screen and higher trims will have Google built-in along with Renault’s virtual assistant, Reno. Additionally, the Twingo will have vehicle-to-load (V2L) compatibility, so you’ll be able to use the battery to charge other devices.

To keep costs down the Twingo will have a modest 27.5kWh battery with up to 163 miles of range and you will be able to preheat the car using Renault’s app to help efficiency in cold weather. The motor provides 82 horsepower which should make this new model feel much nippier than the original and you’ll also have a ‘one-pedal’ mode for city driving. Charging from 10 to 80 per cent will take around four hours from a home wallbox which could be reduces to around half an hour at a quicker public charging station.

The Twingo will be arriving next year. We don’t have exact pricing confirmed but Renault has said it is aiming for it to cost less than £20,000. If you are already sold on the idea of a Twingo E-Tech, you can bag yourself a place at the front of the queue by purchasing a Twingo R Pass for £100. This gets you priority ordering and some exclusive Twingo branded merch.

Earlier in the year Renault revealed the Clio’s new look ahead of its arrival in 2027. We also expect the Megane E-Tech will receive a light refresh shortly to reflect Renault’s latest styling.

There are several new electric city cars we are expecting to arrive soon including the reborn Smart ForTwo and VW’s ID.Every1. These will join existing pint-size models like the Leapmotor T03 and Dacia Spring.