It’s official. The teaser is done. The neo-ret Twingo is here.
Renault has finally pulled back the curtain on the electric version of its iconic city car. But if you’re planning to buy one this month, stop. You’ll have to wait until spring 2026.
Why the delay? Renault says it’s answering a call that most manufacturers ignore. The demand for small, affordable city cars (the A-segment) is real. Just not for everyone else.
A design that looks backward to move forward
The new Twingo doesn’t try to be clever with its lines. It’s a direct nod to the 1992 original. That round, frog-like face? It’s still there. Renault calls it a modern electric urban vehicle with high customer value.
Translation: It looks nostalgic. It drives like a city car. And it’s cheap.
Pricing sits just under €20,000. With government subsidies in some markets, that could drop to around €15,000. For context, the original gas-powered Twingo cost the equivalent of roughly €13,800 today. The gap is small.
This puts the Twingo in the firing line. It’s competing with Chinese EV makers and the Dacia Spring. That price point is aggressive. But how did Renault get there?
The cost of cutting corners
The car isn’t built in France. It’s assembled in Slovenia. But the bigger secret lies in the parts bin.
About 45% of the components come from China. Renault isn’t boasting about that. They’re focused on the low price tag. To hit it, they made trade-offs.
Performance specs for city dwellers only
Don’t expect to take this thing on the Autobahn. The electric motor puts out 82 horsepower (60 kW). Torque sits at 175 Nm.
Top speed? 130 km/h. That’s fine for urban limits. It’s not for highway cruising.
The battery is a CATL unit with a capacity of 27.5 kWh. Range is capped at just over 260 kilometers. Yes, that’s better than the last Twingo. But it’s nowhere near the 600+ kilometers the gas version could do on a tank.
Charging adds to the frustration. Standard AC charging is 6.6 kW. You’ll need a full night to get a complete charge. If you’re impatient, you can pay extra for DC fast charging at 50 kW. That gets you a charge in about 30 minutes.
Inside, there’s no heat pump as standard. You can add battery preconditioning via the app, heated seats, and interior pre-warming. All of that costs extra.
Tech and features
Under the hood of the software, you’ve got Android Automotive OS. It runs a 10.1-inch touchscreen.
Features like regenerative braking, hands-free parking, and driver aids are available. But they’re options. Not standard equipment.
Renault wants the Twingo to be accessible. Simple. Retro. Affordable.
But with a 260 km range and Chinese parts, is it really a step forward? Or just a familiar shape with an electric heart?
The wait until 2026 will tell.
