Background Information
"Va-va-voom" or "Drive The Change", whichever slogan you remember them by Renault are probably most renowned in the UK for the mk2 Megane with the infamous rear end of the model but 21 miles across the English Channel in Continental Europe the most famous Renault model is probably the mk1 Twingo as it sold 2,075,300 of them in it's 14 year lifespan!
The mk2 didn't sell or last as long as that so the mk3 has a lot to live up to.
The mk3 was officially unveiled on the 13th February 2014 with more details released at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March 2014.
It will be one of most affordable rear-wheel drive, rear-engined vehicles for sale alongside it's sister the Smart ForFour which shares the same engines, platform and most other parts.
2 petrol engines will be offered, one with or without stop/start technology and an electric version planned further down the line.
Prices in the UK start from £9,495 for the 1.0 SCe 70PS in Expression trim with the 1.0 SCe 70PS in Play trim an additional £500 at £9,995 and stepping up to top spec Dynamique trim equipped with the 1.0 SCe 70PS with stop/start technology another £1,000 to £10,995 and finally the most expensive model will be the Dynamique ENERGY 0.9 TCe 90PS with stop/start technology at £11,695.
Base Expression models come equipped with body coloured exterior bumpers and door handles, a rear spoiler, LED daytime running lights, electric front windows, speed limiter, electric power steering, split/fold rear seats, ESC and hill start assist.
Stepping up to Play models gains 15 inch steel wheels, air conditioning, a height adjustable driver's seat and height adjustable steering wheel.
Top spec Dynamique models get 15 inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, cruise control, a leather wrapped steering wheel along with a leather wrapped gear knob, rear door bins, electric/heated exterior mirrors, lane departure warning system, white backlighting for the dials and a folding key.
EnginesPetrol
1.0 SCe 70PS (69BHP) naturally aspirated 3 cylinder
0.9 TCe 90PS (89BHP) single turbo 3 cylinder
The 1.0 SCe 70PS takes 14.5 seconds to reach 62 mph from a standstill and onwards to a top speed of 94 mph while 91 Nm of torque is produced at 2,850 RPM.
The 0.9 TCe 90PS is a better bet if you like your pace taking a rather brisk 10.8 seconds to reach 62 mph from a standstill and onwards to 103 mph while more torque is produced compared to the 1.0 SCe at 135 Nm at lower revs of 2,500 RPM due to it's turbo.
Economy for the SCe engine with stop/start is 62.8mpg on the combined cycle with corresponding CO2 emissions of 105g/km while the SCe with stop/start can muster up to 67.3mpg with CO2 emissions at 95g/km which means it qualifies for free road tax.
The TCe engine (with standard stop/start) produces a combined figure of 65.7mpg with 99g/km of CO2 which, as with the TCe with stop/start, is completely free to tax.
All engines are Euro 6 compliant.
SizeThe mk3 Twingo has bucked the trend of vehicles getting larger over each generation as it has decreased in size over it's predecessor (apart from height and wheelbase) measuring 3.59m in length, a wheelbase of 2.49m, 1.64m in width and a height of 1.55m. These figures represent a 0.01m decrease, 0.125m increase, 0.015m decrease and 0.08m increase in length, wheelbase, width and height respectively.
A boot size of 219L means a decrease of 66L from 285L in the mk2 Twingo but the 50/50 split fold rear seats make for a 1.35m long passage with the rear seats folded down. In addition to this an optional front folding passenger seat is available making way for a potential 2.2m loadbay.
Interior
The interior infotainment system can be had in 2 guises. 1 with a standard non-touchscreen radio with a phone holder or a touchscreen with the latest generation R-Link as a £100 option on Play and Dynamique models.
Optional touchscreen setup with Renault's latest R-Link system.A "Techno Pack" is available for £600 on Dynamique models.
A "Convenience Pack" is available for £500 on Dynamique models.
An "Interior Style Pack" is available for £100 on Play and Dynamique models.
An "Interior Touch Pack" is available for £100 on Play and Dynamique models.
Exterior It's obvious that Renault has taken design cues from the Renault 5 and the mk1 Twingo with the rear giving a particularly Renault 5 vibe and the front a mk1 Twingo reference.
As this car primarily targets young customers, personalisation is key and the Twingo delivers with various options available on colour of the car, decals running along the side of the exterior, contrasting exterior mirror colours and different wheel designs.
My OpinionI find the mk3 Renault Twingo rather intriguing due to it's unusual rear-wheel drive, rear-engine layout in a vehicle in the A-segment when it's rivals are most, if not all, are front-wheel drive and front-engined.
Although it should be fine, if I had one and a few years down the line the engine develops a serious problem and needs replacing it would probably be quite difficult to remove and rather expensive too due to it's positioning.
One niggle I have is that rear door bins are only available on the top spec Dynamique models, I mean that's ridiculous, come on Renault really?!
In a tough segment, the mk3 Twingo manages to stand out from the crowd very well and I for one would buy it for it's abnormality but not for any other reason.
There's no doubt it'll sell to those who don't like the usual offerings in the segment but I for one would rather head down to a VW dealer and have a VW UP! or even the highly praised Hyundai i10.
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