The Renault 5 and the later introduced Renault 4 skilfully combine the spectacular evocation of the past with the high tech content below the surface, but there is a catch: we have moved so far from the original models both in terms of time and taste that the interior design can only serve as an indication of the initial conditions , otherwise the functionality would be detrimental to the nostalgia.
The Twingo is much younger: it was born (1992) after the Renault 5 handed over the baton to the Clio (1990) – let’s put aside the fact that the R5 remained available as a budget model manufactured in Yugoslavia for several years. This was more than thirty years ago, of course, but the special upholstery, unique switches, and playful details are somewhat closer to today.
Even so, the illusion is not perfect: the instrument unit arranged in the center has been placed on a blade, just like the ball-shaped switch of the emergency flasher. Stimmel, on the other hand, authentically evokes the 20th century with the two-spoke steering wheel, the rotary knob climate control, and of course the recognizable cloud pattern on the upholstery. the most innovative small car of the last years of the century.
The five-door design is brilliantly hidden by the design, and the contours of the seats also bring out the original design well. The rear seat bench can be split in a half:half ratio and can be pushed and tilted, as in the past. The canvas roof gag that was available for the former Twingo is no longer available, instead we get a glass sunroof with an oval cutout.
Of course, the Twingo E-Tech Electric is not only about nostalgia: it is full of innovative, sustainable ideas. The floor is made of colored cork (at least on the study car), a magnet is placed on the back of the front headrests, where smartphones can be conveniently attached, a cylindrical recess and a thick rubber band are used for placing water bottles or other personal small items a little lower. The seat adjustment knob was modeled after the wheels of skateboards, and although we didn’t find any traces of them in the attached photos, the passenger compartment will in principle be full of Easter eggs, i.e. messages hidden by the designers.
The reincarnated Twingo first showed itself in the fall of 2024, since then its design has changed at several points, and it is expected that there will be further differences by the time we reach 2026, when the model will be put into series production.
The Twingo E-Tech Electric will be based on the same AmpR Small platform that underpins the Renault 5 and Renault 4. This does not necessarily mean that we have to count on the same electric motors and batteries – since the Twingo is specifically intended as a city car, and at an affordable price of under 20,000 euros – however, it is not expected to lag behind its bigger brothers in terms of digital knowledge.
Source: www.vezess.hu
