Renault Twingo Freeway Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Renault Twingo Freeway
Prices: £6,995 - on the road
Insurance Group: 2
Emissions: 132g/km
Performance: Max Speed 96mph / 0-62mph 15s
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 39.2mpg / (extra urban) 61.4mpg / (combined) 50.4mpg
Safety: ABS with EBD, Driver and passenger lateral airbags.
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 3601/1640/1472

TAKING THE FREEWAY

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Does the low cost Renault Twingo Freeway represent good value for money? Steve Walker takes a look.

Renault wouldn’t claim that its Twingo was the most technologically advanced citycar on the market. Actually, scrub that, it probably would but we’d know better. The Twingo doesn’t have the ingenious packaging or urban cool image that its rivals offer but it is fun and it is affordable. Playing on these strengths, the entry-level Twingo Freeway could even be the smartest pick in the range.

After the original model never made it to these shores, Renault always promised us Brits that we’d get the second generation version of the Twingo and, from a manufacturer famed for style-conscious models like the Avantime and the Vel Satis, many confidently expected something that would make a MINI feel old hat. What we got was this car. Revolutionary? Perhaps in its own quiet, practical way, but not in the manner some might have been expecting. Look at the product a little closer though and you may end up wondering whether that isn’t a good thing. Let’s do just that.

The Twingo Freeway gets one solitary engine option and it’s a 1.2-litre petrol with just 60bhp. Give it a chance though because despite the modest power output and a 0-60mph time of a somewhat ponderous 15s, the engine does feel reasonably nippy in the lightweight Renault, at low speeds at least. The engine, like the Twingo’s chassis, is borrowed from the previous generation Clio supermini and for keen drivers, that’s good news as the Clio II boasted one of the most capable and fun small car platforms around. Electric variable power steering is fitted as standard which is light and makes the Twingo simplicity itself to pilot around town.

The Twingo serves up a pleasantly urgent driving experience in the kind of urban areas where it will be predominantly used. The ride isn’t the crash, bang, wallop, affair served up by some small cars and is actually very composed on bad surfaces. As we’ve already suggested, it’s good fun to chuck about too, changing direction promptly and able to corner with the best citycar offerings in a way that makes you keen to try the top of the range Renaultsport model.

Citycars tend either to be fashion statements (like the Toyota iQ or the Fiat 500) or focus more on practicality (like a Fiat Panda or a Kia Picanto). The Twingo falls somewhere between these two extremes. The shape is contemporary and fun, without being especially arresting, while the body is spacious and airy but can’t be ordered with more than three doors. Still, there are a number of neat design touches. The swollen wheel arches, novel door catches and accessory packs that include flowers, stripes and chequer decals indicate that Renault is looking to offer something that’s not just a me-too contender.

This generation Twingo is a massive 170mm longer than the original. Most of the extra room has been given over to rear seat passengers and the boot. The two rear seats can slide 220mm fore and aft to prioritise space for either people or luggage and they also fold flat and then tumble forwards, offering up to 959 litres of space in this guise. Other noteworthy features include a centrally mounted instrument cluster and no fewer than eleven storage spaces dotted around the cabin.

The Freeway model’s standout feature is its asking price and you’d have to say that it looks a tidy package for around £7,000. Sloting in at the very bottom of the range, an important part of the car’s role will be to attract buyers who can then be upsold to pricier models but those who simply want a good value small car could stick with the Freeway and not be disappointed. ABS braking with EBD and brake assist is standard, so are