Renault Twingo: Reveal date set for brand's next cute EV hatch

The Renault Twingo city car will return for a fourth generation, and while it’ll pack electric power it’s looking back to the original for design inspiration.

In November last year, Renault unveiled the Twingo Legend concept, which was expected to influence a new-generation electric city car.

The French carmaker has now confirmed the pre-production Twingo E-Tech (as it will be known) is set to be revealed at the Paris motor show, running between October 14 and 20.

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Renault plans to put the Twingo E-Tech in production from 2026, with European prices starting from less than €20,000 (A$32,450) – a figure which would make it one of the cheapest EVs on the continent, though still dearer than the Dacia Spring which starts at €18,900 (A$30,705).

This would also undercut the current Twingo EV, which is priced from €20,250 (A$32,680) in France, and is powered by a 60kW/180Nm electric motor.

It’ll sit below the reborn electric Renault 5 within the carmaker’s EV lineup, which features an increasing number of retro-styled models. A revived Renault 4, for example, is also set to debut.

Previous reports have indicated the new-gen Twingo will be produced at the company’s Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia.

The production model, as with the concept, is expected to take a majority of its design cues from the first-generation Twingo which launched in 1992, and continued to be built until 2007 when it was replaced by a Clio-based model.

Third-generation Twingos were co-developed alongside the Smart Fortwo and Forfour, which meant adopting a unique rear-mid engine layout, as well as the option of an electric motor.

Renault is yet to confirm drivetrain specifications, though it’s claimed the new EV will have “best-in-class” efficiency of around 10kWh per 100 kilometres.

Company CEO Luca de Meo previously described the new Twingo as a “a very intelligent concept”, and a “European kei car”.

He said Renault is sticking with smaller cars because it “doesn’t make sense to use a 2.5 tonne car to move a single person in the city”.

It’s not yet known whether the Twingo will use a new EV platform or be based on existing architecture.

Renault currently has a few EV platforms available.

AmpR Medium, also known as the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-EV architecture, currently underpins the Renault Megane E-Tech and Nissan Ariya, and the upcoming Scenic E-Tech. It’s likely too large for the new Twingo.

The smaller AmpR Small architecture – previously known as the CMF-BEV platform – will be used in the upcoming Renault 5 hatchback and Renault 4 crossover.

Renault also has CMF-AEV, underpinning the budget-priced Dacia Spring.

The French carmaker has never sold the Twingo in Australia, and it’s unknown whether it plans to bring the new EV here.

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