Design Review: Renault Twingo (2014)
by Alex Orwin    05 Jun 2014
 
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Highlight - Rear aspect

The combination of a short overhang, wide rear shoulder, neatly integrated spoiler and a very cleverly conceived single mask graphic makes this a very pleasing rear profile. It's not just distinctive, it makes the Twingo feel much more than its lowly A-segment positioning suggests.

Verdict

There are two ways to look at the new Twingo. On one hand, it is easy to dismiss as lacking much of the innovation that defined the first model, and that its aesthetics are a little too reminiscent of others.

There's also the lack of emphasis on its novel drivetrain package, and perhaps more worryingly, the fact this appears to have made the cabin space tighter when it should make it at least feel bigger. The tiny trunk space, and messily designed access to service modules such as the washer bottle under the hood, might genuinely put customers off.

Yet for all this, it's hard not to fall for the Twingo's character and appreciate that Renault's designers have done a fine job of accommodating the difficult brief.

Giving it true ‘Twingo-ness', making it fit into the wider Renault picture and all the while sharing hard points with a car from another brand is a challenging brief. But the Twingo combines those seemingly incompatible requirements. It raises Renault's stock and the Twingo nameplate's perceived quality without resorting to the ‘bauble' detailing of a 500 or Mini - it's the color and trim and interior designers who deserve much of the credit for this. Perhaps most importantly, it doesn't feel cheap or derivative. It is its own thing.

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Design Development: Renault Twingo (2014)
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