Renault Twingo 0.9 TCe - a bold new hand
The designers of Twingo III found themselves in an exceptionally convenient situation - a large budget, the opportunity to develop a new floor slab and significantly redesign existing engines. They took full advantage of the wiggle room, creating one of the most interesting cars in the A-segment.
The Twingo solidified Renault's portfolio in 1993, immediately becoming one of the most popular vehicles in the city. Nothing unusual. It combined an exceptionally original appearance with a very spacious interior and a retractable rear seat, unique in its segment. The concept of the model has stood the test of time. Twingo I left the scene only in 2007. The designers of the second edition of Twingo ran out of inspiration. They created a car that visually and technically disappeared into the maze of city cars. It also wasn't roomier, more economical, or more enjoyable to drive than they were.
In 2014, Renault definitely broke with mediocrity. The debut Twingo III looks original, extremely agile, and a wide range of options makes it easy to personalize the car. Pastel colors, a variety of stickers, attention-grabbing rims, daytime running lights with four LEDs, a glass trunk lid ... The designers made sure that Twingo is different from most representatives of the A-segment, which by all means try to look like an adult. Youth style is duplicated in the interior. The highlight of the program are bold color combinations and a 7-inch screen multimedia system that works with phones and supports applications.
However, the biggest surprises are hidden under the car body. Renault decided to implement a solution that Volkswagen considered in 2007 - up! they had a rear engine and rear wheel drive. The Twingo's avant-garde design meant additional costs. The accounting reconciliation facilitated a partnership with Daimler, which was working on the next generation of smart fortwo and forfour. The models, although Twingo twins, visually have nothing to do with it.
The concerns have developed a new floor slab, as well as modified existing components, incl. The 0.9 TCe block is known from other Renault models. Half of the attachments, including the lubrication system, are designed to work in an inclined position. Placing the engine at an angle of 49 degrees was necessary - the trunk floor turned out to be 15 cm lower than with a vertical installation of the power unit.
Luggage capacity depends on the angle of the rear seatback and is 188-219 liters. The results are far from the record 251 liters in the A-segment, but the long and correct surface is quite suitable for everyday use - larger items do not need to be squeezed between the backrest and the high threshold fifth door. Another 52 liters are intended for lockers in the cabin. There are spacious pockets in the doors, and storage spaces in the central tunnel. The locker in front of the passenger is made out at the request of the customer. Standard - an open niche, which for an additional fee can be replaced with a lockable compartment or a removable, fabric ... bag with a belt. The last one listed is the least functional. The lid opens upwards, effectively restricting access to the bag when it is in the dashboard.
Although Twingo is one of the shortest representatives of the A-segment, there is plenty of space in the cabin - four adults with a height of 1,8 m fit easily. The best-in-class wheelbase as well as the straightness of the dash and door panels add to the benefit. It is a pity that there was no horizontal adjustment of the steering column. Tall drivers should sit close to the dashboard and bend their knees.
A few tens of centimeters in front of your feet is the edge of the bumper. The compactness of the front apron allows you to better feel the contours of the car. Parking in reverse is more difficult - wide rear pillars narrow the field of view. It's a pity that the camera bundled with the R-Link multimedia system costs a considerable PLN 3500 and is available only in the top version of Intens. We recommend investing PLN 600-900 in parking sensors. The absence of a multimedia system will not be particularly painful. The standard is a smartphone holder with a socket. You can use your own applications or install the R&GO software, which, in addition to navigation, an audio file player and an extensive on-board computer, includes a tachometer - it is not on the instrument panel or in the R-Link system menu.
You don't have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate rear-wheel drive. Freed from the influence of driving forces, the steering system does not offer much resistance when we press the throttle harder during a turn. Breaking the clutch when starting off is more difficult than in a front-wheel drive car. The focus of the program is phenomenal maneuverability. The front wheels, not limited by the presence of hinges, engine block or gearbox, can turn up to 45 degrees. As a result, the turning radius is 8,6 meters. The advertising slogan - dizzyingly returnable - accurately reflects the facts. The moment of driving with the wheels completely turned out is enough for the labyrinth to begin to refuse to obey.
The chassis designers made sure that in most situations the Twingo handles like… a front wheel drive car. Power is transmitted by wheels size 205/45 R16. The narrower front tires (185/50 R16) account for about 45% of the car's weight, resulting in slight understeer. Minimum oversteer can be forced by throttling in a fast corner. A fraction of a second later, ESP intervenes.
If on dry and wet pavement the electronics effectively hide the position of the engine and the type of drive, then when driving on snowy roads the situation changes slightly. A light car (943 kg) with a torque reserve (135 Nm) and wide rear tires (205 mm) can lose traction on the rear axle faster than on the front axle, whose 185 mm tires bite better into white surfaces. Before ESP is activated, the rear part deviates a few centimeters from the intended direction of travel. You should get used to Twingo's behavior and not try to take on a deep counterattack right away.
The extreme positions of the steering wheel are separated by three turns, like other A-segment cars, they lean more, so a more direct gear had to be used. As a result, Twingo does not tolerate accidental steering movements - moving the hands a few millimeters results in a clear change of track. You should enjoy the go-kart feel or opt for the weaker 1.0 SCe version, which has less direct steering forcing you to make four turns of the steering wheel between its extreme positions. Twingo also reacts nervously to crosswind gusts and larger bumps. The short suspension travel means that only minor sags are filtered out well.
The performance of the 0.9 TCe engine will also take some getting used to. Annoying lack of linear response to gas. We press the right pedal, Twingo begins to pick up speed in order to rush forward in a moment. It may appear that there is an elastic rubber element in the throttle control mechanism that delays commands given by the gas pedal. It remains to drive quietly or keep the "boiler" under steam - then acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h becomes a matter of 10,8 seconds. Reductions are necessary to achieve full dynamics. The gearbox has a long gear ratio - on the "second number" you can reach about 90 km / h.
Driving style significantly affects fuel consumption. If the driver does not press the right pedal to the floor and uses the Eco mode, Twingo burns 7 l / 100 km in the city, and two liters less on the highway. It is enough to press the gas harder or drive onto the highway for the on-board computer to start reporting that the dangerously high threshold of 8 l / 100 km has been exceeded. On the other hand, the noise reduction when driving at high speed was a pleasant surprise. At a speed of 100-120 km / h, the noise of the air, the wraparound mirror and the A-pillars is mainly heard. It is a pity that Renault did not take care of the best damping of suspension noise.
The current sale gives you the opportunity to buy the 70 HP Twingo 1.0 SCe Zen. with insurance and a set of winter tires for PLN 37. For air conditioning you need to pay PLN 900 extra. The flagship version of Intens cost PLN 2000. To enjoy the turbocharged 41 TCe engine with 900 HP, you need to prepare PLN 90. The sums no longer seem outrageous when we compare the Twingo with similarly equipped competitors.
Renault Twingo intends to conquer the extremely saturated segment A. It has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Driving around the city is greatly facilitated by a very small turning radius. Due to the upholstered door panels, upholstery color or materials used for the cockpit, the Twingo's interior does not resemble the strict interiors of French and German triples. The strength of the model is also a fresh style and the possibility of personalization. However, those who wish must put up with a short suspension travel and fuel consumption - clearly higher than the declared 4,3 l / 100 km.
