Renault Twingo – I second that emotion

Choosing a city car more often than not comes down to an emotional rather than practical decision.

If the model looks cool, trendy, bright and screams feelgood factor, then it will probably hook a new owner.

While there are plenty of retro touches to the latest Renault Twingo – after all, it does reference the spirit of the 1993 original as well as the Renault 5 of the 1970s – there are nonetheless innovations that make it one of the best city cars around.

Three of them – a rear-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive and five doors – are firsts for the model.

With its wheels positioned at the car’s extreme corners, and a smaller engine block, the Twingo is now more spacious inside.

So much so that with the seats folded down you can slide in a flatpack bookcase from a well-known Scandinavian home furnishing outlet and still have 52 litres of personal stowage space to spare. And that’s pretty awesome for a car of this size.

Personal touches are a selling feature of the latest Renault Twingo

Four trim grades are up for grabs – Expression, Play, Dynamique and Dynamique S – the first three of which are available with the SCe 70 naturally aspirated 1.0-litre engine featured in the test model.

Dynamique adds the option of Renault’s 0.9-litre turbocharged TCe engine, which is standard with Dynamique S, and all are five-door with five-speed manual transmission.

As a city car, the Twingo does its job adeptly in that it is nippy, simple to park, has a sensational turning circle, is versatile and anything but cramped.

Take it on faster roads or the motorway and the lack of punch from the 70bhp engine becomes evident. Nor does the little Renault react well to side winds or overtaking lorries.

In all other conditions though it’s a gem, and those concerned that a car of this size with a rear engine may present a safety hazard in the event of being hit from behind need not be overly concerned.

Two-tone touches in the new generation Renault Twingo

As Renault points out, the engine is mounted at an angle of 49 degrees so that it doesn’t intrude into the boot, and in a rear-end collision it is pushed beneath the passenger cell.

The amount of kit on every model is comprehensive, particularly when it comes to features that matter to modern city car owners.

So connectivity comes as standard on every Twingo model through the new smartphone-operated R & GO system.

Thanks to the radio, a universal cradle and a free-to-download app, owners have intuitive access to navigation, phone, multimedia and trip computer functions as well as internet radio.

Dynamique and Dynamique S models bring the option of the R-Link multimedia system with a seven-inch touchscreen, voice control, TomTom nav, 3D sound by Arkamys and rear parking camera.

All useful stuff, but what seals the deal for me is the way every Twingo can transformed into a bespoke car through the various personalisation choices.

The tested model had the Fashion personality pack (£200) with Powder Blue dash, door and steering wheel inserts to match the car’s body and two-tone seats. It really makes the Twingo stand out.

Prices are from £9,495 for the Twingo Expression SCe 70 model rising to £12,545 for the Dynamique S TCe 90 Stop & Start.

City style from the new Renault Twingo