Is this Renault’s cutest car ever ?

I mentioned this car a few days ago, and now we have the first official pictures and info from Renault. I think it is fantastic. And yes, I cannot think of a cutest design produced by Renault in their long history…

The Concept looked great and almost futuristic in a fabulous retro way, and Renault was able, and especially willing, to make sure the production car looks about 99% like the amazing concept. And it does. This is maybe the coolest-looking EV anywhere and will surely be a huge hit in Europe.

As mentioned earlier, the design is inspired by the original 1992 Renault Twingo. A car that was truly an amazing design at the time.

Even though the new Renault is part of the A-Segment in Europe, it seems pretty roomy for 4 humans. It has a 60kW (82HP) electric motor. A 27.5 kWh battery is good for up to 164 miles. While DC charging is just 50kW. However, this is a car mostly targeted for urban use and not long road trips, which should be fine.

At about 150 inches long, this is a really small car. Or about a couple of inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. Besides the design, the best part is the amazing starting price of “under 20,000 Euros”. Which, in Europe, does include taxes. That would mean a sub-$23,000 electric car here in the US. However, the crazy new tariffs would surely increase the price on this side of the Atlantic.)

This is exactly what the market needs. A very affordable great great-looking car. Electric or not. Such a design is actually a fashion statement in the same way the 1st modern Mini Cooper was a few years ago. The amazing low price is just the icing on the cake.

So far, the cheapest EV soon to be available over here will be the Nissan Leaf S, starting at around $28,000. At $28,600, the base 2027 Chevrolet Bolt is actually the best deal around. A very roomy car with a 255-mile range and 150kWh fast charging speed. But you basically get a car that came out in 2017.

I really think there would be a market for something like the Twingo in the US. Maybe through Nissan dealers. If they don’t expect a huge hit, it could work just by bringing some more traffic to their local dealers…

Here are some pictures of the original 1992 model: