The article was originally produced on February 7, 2012, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Renault Twingo

Just like many other car brands, Renault chooses to present its new design identity on its smallest model, the Renault Twingo. The new updated Twingo has a clearer and more playful design than its predecessor. The diamond-shaped Renault logo (from 1925) in the front has grown considerably and is now placed against a black background which makes it more visible. It was at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall that the car was shown for the first time. Cars Collection received an invitation to go to Bilbao in northern Spain for an exclusive test drive.

Bilbao is a very charming city located in the Bay of Biscay in the part of Spain known as the Basque Country. The city is not only charming because of all the fun neighborhood bars where you can eat traditional pinchos and drink the local wine txacoli, it is also a city to see with both old and modern architecture. Among the modern buildings, the most spectacular is the Guggenheim Museum, located in the center right on the Nervión River. It was inaugurated in 1997. Even the rest of the area around the river bank is ultra-modern with new architecture and the new cool Twingo felt right in this environment.

Twingo is now in its third generation and was introduced in 1993 and is the smallest in the Renault family with the big sibling Clio above it. But Renault likes to boast that the model is among the best in the segment when it comes to roominess. Despite the small size, four people can sit without problems and if you fold the rear seats, you get a load space of a whopping 959 litres. As an option, you can also order independent and sliding seats in the back, both practical and comfortable.

Renault deliberately wants to flirt with the trendy big city woman. To do this, they have resorted to tricks such as a number of different choices of decor on, for example, the roof, rear-view mirrors and seats. The new Twingo is also available in several exciting colors such as Fuchsia or like it Cars Collection, Bermuda blue with Gordinistripes over the body. The interior is quite sparse with a large console in the center that houses the most important information. The chairs have a nice design that provides good support even though they are not so-called sports chairs. Of course, the material choices do not belong to the premium class because this is a car that is at a price level in the lower tier.

As an option, there is a smart media system that allows anyone with an iPhone or iPod touch to dock it to the car's media player. The music can also be played via bluetooth or USB. An app for smart phones will also be released where you can follow your driving and how you accelerate, shift and brake and influence it so that you drive more ecologically and reduce your consumption and thereby emissions.

Bilbao doesn't just offer entertaining bar life and challenging architecture. The areas around and outside the center have fantastic winding roads where the opportunity for a little more active driving is available. Twingo's size fits perfectly on the narrow and curvy mountain roads down to the coast. The steering is top class and it is noticeable that there is technology with F1 in the genes from Renault Sport. When you drive a car on this type of road, good steering is in many respects much more worth a lot of horsepower, you can have great fun despite a paltry 75 horses and 107 Newton meters of torque. For those who want to avoid sitting and whisking porridge with a gear lever, a robotic automatic gearbox is available. Those who have had time to get used to the so-called double clutch boxes will probably find this variant to be a bit stiff. Initially, the Twingo will only be offered with a 1.2 liter engine with 16 valves. The CO2 emission is a low 119 grams. There are other engine options, e.g. a diesel machine, but this will not be relevant in Sweden from the start of sales that began in January.

Thanks to its size, the Twingo is a perfect car for city driving, no parking space is too small. When you zigzag your way through the dense city traffic, the treatment of fellow road users feels very positive due to the car's appearance and lively colors, you are simply happy to see the new Twingo. If you don't think 75 horses is enough and want more cupped sports seats and an even tighter steering, you can rest easy, there is an RS version coming from Renault's sports department and we are eagerly awaiting it.

+ Cool little city car with a personal touch

- A bit lethargic. Lack of engine alternatives in Sweden.