26 Years have passed between the launch of the original Twingo and that of the second edition of the current and third model. What was changed in more than a quarter of a century and are there any characteristics that have remained? Open that sunroof and go!
On Monday, October 5, 1992, the world was first introduced to the Renault Twingo phenomenon. This was a compact four-seat car, playfully designed and with exceptional possibilities that was taken in to the hearts of the people straight away. Renault had managed to build a car that gave you a feeling as if it was a pet animal, one that people would prefer to put inside their houses.
The Twingo, from then-on available in addition to the Supercinq and the Clio, was the result of a halted project of the mid-1980s for the development of a series of compact cars. Immediately after his arrival, the newly appointed head of design Patrick Le Quement looked at all the projects that may or may not have been taken into production in previous years. One for a compact three-door car had been put aside. Le Quement received ‘carte blanche’ to give it a new lease of life without too many requirements. The existing model was made one size larger and received its ‘face’ by adding round headlights. As so often, the development team, led by Yves Dubreil as a project director, was extremely imaginative when it came to the interior design. Despite a very modest length of just 3.43 metres, the new Twingo offered ample space for four adults. This was due to the standard sliding rear seat, which made it possible to vary between legroom and luggage space. With the seat in its furthest position, the distance between the pedals and the backrest of the rear seat is identical to that of the Renault 25!
The green Renault Twingo of the first generation seen here is owned by Maurice Dragt, who has placed a replica of the French license plate used on PR photos on his car for the occasion. His Twingo is equipped with the optional full-length sunroof, well used in publicity shots. Colours play a leading role in the car’s interior. The upholstery uses a blue background with red and green accents. That gives us three out of the four standard paint colours: this Vert Coriandre alongside Rouge Corail and Bleu Outremer. The rare Jaune is not reflected in the upholstery fabric. All buttons for ventilation / heating, the door handles and the window handles come in mint green. Accessories such as the two-tone leather steering wheel, the floor mats and the Grundig radio display even more green accents.
Despite the rich use of colours, the dashboard is simple in its design. The digital readout of speed, fuel supply and the trip meter, odometer and digital clock is located on top of the centre console. Open storage compartments are provided on the left under the steering column and on the right opposite the passenger. Only when air conditioning was chosen as an option, the right-hand compartment was cancelled. But the Twingo also uses storage compartments in its doors.
The seats have a short pad, but that shouldn’t be a problem for a car when it is mainly used for short distances. Maurice has loved the Twingo since it was launched, when he was a teenager. “As a 16-year-old I worked at a petrol station next to a Renault dealer in Venlo and there I saw plenty of Twingos. This is not my first one, but it is the first that I consider as a collector car. I found it about three years ago in a small village near Berlin where the car was bought by its first owner after the fall of the wall, and I managed to contact his widow. It had 89,000 original kilometres when I bought it, now still only 109,000kms. I took it to the 25 years of Twingo event in France also.”
With the optional sunroof opened, the comparison can be made with a brand-new and recently facelifted Renault Twingo III. This mainly concerns the front where the separate daytime running lights have disappeared and are now integrated into the new headlights in their familiar C-shape. It has made the front sleeker. From now on the air intake on the left rear wing comes as a standard, previously it was only used on the GT-versions. The finishers on the sides have been adjusted, too, and are now painted in body colour on this Intens version and provided with a Twingo name. Rear bumper and lighting have also been facelifted. New colours finish it off, with this Jaune Mango making the car extra cheerful. This paint colour can also be optionally extended inside, around the dashboard, on the steering wheel spokes and around the gear lever and air vents. This so-called ‘Pack Look’ also includes Jaune Mango accents in the upholstery. Those who find it all a tad too wild can opt for black or red.
New for the Twingo is the latest Easy Link system, now with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay via a 7-inch touchscreen on the dashboard. It also shows the views from the optional rear view camera.
Mechanically, the unblown 1-litre 3-cylinder improved from 70- to 73hp and from 91- to 95Nm of torque, but now at considerably higher revs. All the interventions ensure a noticeable decrease in average fuel consumption. Furthermore, the engine has become quieter while important improvements have been made to the suspension, making the phase II of the current Twingo considerably more stable.
The Twingo is also still available with 0.9-litre turbo engine that has gained 3hp while the torque figure remains unchanged. Unfortunately a GT variant is not coming back. But fortunately a number of positive features of this version have been integrated into the complete Twingo-range. Incidentally, the turbo version is only available with EDC automatic transmission.
The differences and similarities between the two Twingos with some 25 years in between them are both large and small. Both manage to attract the attention by their cheerful appearances. The full sunroof remains a fantastic item. The interiors both play with colours and both the functionality and interior space are surprising. But the folding rear seat and the backrest of the passenger seat of the Twingo III cannot compete with the sliding and two-way folding rear seat of the original Twingo. That clever system simply provides much more legroom in the rear. It’s also a fact that the glasshouse of the first Twingo is much more generous. On the other hand, the Twingo III uses much-thicker posts giving better protection for the passengers. The front wheels of the current models can be placed in an almost 90 degrees corner, giving the car an ultra-short turning circle. And it is also clear that the equipment level of the new Twingo is on a much higher level. But in terms of appeal, it does not surpass the original version. Also noticeable is that the Twingo of the first generation still copes well in the current automotive world, both in terms of design, but certainly also because of its adult driving behaviour, which is still excellent. Seated behind the wheel, this car certainly does not give you the idea of it being small. The Twingo III, on the other hand, gives you much more of a sense of safety since its passengers are more surrounded by its body shell.
Pictures: Two funny Twingo's with a sunroof, but the differences in appearance are considerable. Front engine and front wheel drive against the engine and drive in the back. Sliding rear seat that can be folded down in two parts versus a folding passenger seat.
En detail...
Renault Twingo 1993 / 2019
Specifications (C06 305/SCE 75 Intens)
Moteur:
4/3 cylindres essence, alésage x course 74 x 72/72,2 x 81,3 mm, injection monopoint/injection multipoint , cylindrée 1.239/998 cc. Puissance maxi 55/73 cv à 5.300/6.250 tr/min, couple 90/95 Nm à 2.800/4.000 tr/min, taux de compression 9,2:1/10,5:1. Boîte manuelle à 5 vitesses.
Suspension:
Avant jambes de force McPherson avec bras de support inférieur triangulaire/McPherson avec barre stabilisatrice, arrière essieu flexible en forme de H/essieu De Dion. Freins à disques avant (diamètre ?/259 mm), freins à tambours arrière (diamètres ?/228 mm). Twingo III: ABS avec assistance au freinage d'urgence. Pneus: 145/70 R 13 S / 185/60R15 avant en 205/45R16 arrière.
Dimensions:
Longeur 3.433/3.615 mm, largeur 1.630/1.646 mm, hauteur à vide 1.423/1.541 mm, empattement 2.347/2.492 mm, voie avant 1.416/1.452 mm, voie arrière 1.374/1.425 mm. Coffre à bagage 168 - 1.096 /219 - 980 litres. Rayon de braquage 9,7 / 8,8 mètres. Poids: à vide 785 kg/889 kg, charge utile 390/442 kg, masse totale roulante 1.175/1.331 kg, remorque (freinée) 375 kg/non autorisée. Réservoir de l'essence 40/35 litres.
Performances:
Vitesse maxi 150/163 km/h, acceleration 0-100 km/h en 14,0/14,7 secondes. Consommation 90/120/ville 5,1/7,0/7,4 litres par 100 km, Twingo III: 4,5 litres par 100 km. Emissions de CO2 geen inconnu/102 g/km.