New Renault Twingo 2026 preview: potentially game-changing EV is totally retro

The Renault Twingo is the next icon from the French firm’s seemingly never ending back catalogue that will be reborn as an electric car for the masses, following hot on the heels of the long-awaited Renault 5 supermini that just went on sale and the Renault 4 baby SUV coming very soon.

The new Twingo is due to be revealed later this year before hitting the streets in 2026 sporting a price tag of just €20,000 – which equates to less than £17,000, for those of us on the other side of the channel. And for context, the new Renault 5 starts from a whisper under £23,000.

Renault CEO Luca de Meo described the new Twingo as a “silver bullet for sustainable mobility,” and “will be a game changer once again, like [the original Twingo] was 30 years ago. This is a fit-for-purpose urban vehicle, state-of-the-art EV without compromise.”

What is the exterior and interior design like?

We saw the first concept of the new Renault Twingo in November 2023, and we’re told its incredibly quirky and totally retro design won’t change too much for the road-going car. 

The design is a modern interpretation of the original bug-eyed Twingo, which was launched in 1992. The distinctive rounded headlights are present and correct, as well as a short bonnet, wheels pushed out to the very edges of the car, vertical rear end, and soft, rounded edges. 

The three air vents on the bonnet are also a nod to the Mk1 Twingo and will feed the EV’s air-conditioning system. There are some differences to the original of course, for instance the new model will have five doors, with the rear door handles hidden in the C-pillar as with a Renault Clio. 

It’s going to be very affordable, but that doesn’t mean the new Twingo will scrimp on the interior. It’s set to feature a pair of large digital displays on the dashboard, plus a small bank of physical buttons and rotary dials for the climate control, and sliding and folding rear seats for extra versatility. 

What powertrain and charging details can we expect?

We know that the new Renault Twingo will sit on the same AmpR Small platform used by the reborn R5 and R4, plus the next Nissan Micra. De Meo has also promised the budget electric city car will deliver “best-in-class efficiency” of up to 6.2 miles per kilowatt-hour, however details about its powertrain are still pretty thin on the ground.

6

It seems likely that the Twingo will inherit the 40kWh battery and 118bhp e-motor used by the entry-level R5, which offers up to 193 miles of range. But as Renault is looking to reduce weight on the Twingo in order to achieve the class-leading efficiency promised, the same battery/motor combination could deliver a range of more than 200 miles.

Assuming the Twingo gets the same 80kW maximum charging speed as the entry-level R5, a 10 to 80 per cent top-up will take around half an hour. 

How will the Renault Twingo be developed in just two years?

When the Renault Twingo concept was unveiled in 2023, de Meo boldly promised it would go from concept to production in just two years to match the speed of Chinese car makers, and bring the budget EV to market in 2026.

To help achieve this ambitious timeframe, and reduce the cost of the project, the Twingo is being developed with help of a Chinese engineering partner. In an exclusive interview with Auto Express, sales director of Renault France and former managing director of the brand in the UK, Guillaume Sicard, revealed: “We have our engineering over in France in the Techno Centre that is working in partnership with an engineering consultancy firm in China so we can work 24/7. 

“It also means we double the forces working on the project because we have two engineering centres, and the Chinese have a very speedy way of iterations and fixing issues. They go extremely quickly to take decisions, they force their process to go quickly and are a bit ahead of us in terms of technology on many aspects.”

He continued: “The Techno Center in Paris will be in charge of all the coordination, and will be in charge of some aspects, specifically everything that is related to the brand's fundamentals, such as the design and so on. Then after that the Chinese consultancy firm will be in charge of some specific developments for the battery, the motor, the software.”

6

But while Ampere is still the MC, or “master of ceremony”, on the Twingo according to Sicard, one benefit he sees in having a Chinese engineering consultancy firm involved is “it’s discovering new suppliers that can propose on-the-shelf solutions. I'm pretty sure we will have some on the shelf solutions that have proven to be efficient for a BYD, human horizons or whatever. We will probably have a few.”

He added: “It’s an open world and we have to bring the best to our customers. Our customers want the best of technology at the best price.”

What will the Renault Twingo’s price be?

The Renault Twingo will have a starting price of under €20,000, which equates to roughly £17,000 at the current exchange rate and would make it one of the cheapest electric cars on the market. Thanks to its low list price, Renault claims the Twingo will also be available from less than €100 per month (under £90). 

How does the Twingo compare with its chief rivals? Prices for the new Renault 5 start from exactly £22,995, while the Citroen e-C3 – the most recent recipient of our Affordable Electric Car of the Year award – is available from less than £22k. The cheapest EV currently on sale is, of course, the £15k Dacia Spring.

Is the Renault Twingo coming to the UK?

You might assume that the Renault Twingo coming to the UK was a sure thing, however, it’s yet to be confirmed whether the funky A-segment EV will be making it to our shores. 

There’s hope though as the CEO of the Renault brand, Fabrice Cambolive, said that the French firm “will fight to get Twingo to the UK”, and he believes that the new Twingo will appeal particularly to former Renault Zoe owners, plus those who had a Twingo in the past.

Click here for our list of the cheapest electric cars on sale...