The right cars at the right time. That would seem to sum up French manufacturer Renault at the moment. First it introduced us to the all-electric Renault 5, a car that is selling exceptionally well. They are everywhere, with most in vibrant colours making them easy to spot.

Hot on its taillights came the Renault 4, built on the same platform but offering more space and a slightly softer ride. Both models were modern recreations of a classic design, reimagined for a modern, green, electrified world.

What next then thought these clever French designers? How about recreating the Twingo? For those not in the know, the original was a cutesy three-door hatch, sold between 1992 and 2007. It was only made in left-hand drive and never officially sold here, though some were imported. Sadly, I never drove one, but a journalist mate owned a fine example and waxed lyrical about it.

Now there is a new Twingo in the making, and this time the steering wheel will be on the correct side. I’m told the starting price will be under £20,000, and those keen to grab an early car can purchase a ‘Twingo R Pass’ for £100. Amongst other things, the pass should ensure you are first to impress your neighbours with one on your driveway.

Ahead of the main UK launch, I’m told all Renault dealers should have a left-hand drive static display model in their showrooms. A chance to have a good poke around and make sure you are comfortable behind the wheel. The Renault press team also have a couple of early models at their disposal, and I was lucky enough to spend a couple of hours behind the wheel and on my local roads too.
Styling harks back to the original, but now five doors add to the practicality, and, of course, funky colours are the order of the day. My test car was resplendent in ‘Mango Yellow’. I may be slightly colour blind, but it looks orange. ‘Absolute Green’, ‘Absolute Red’ and ‘Diamond Black’ are also offered.

The Twingo’s interior is simple, yet beautifully functional, with a pair of sliding rear seats, allowing space to be altered for maximum legroom or a larger boot capacity, depending on need. It does mean the car is strictly a four-seater, which may be a deal breaker for some.

Slightly disappointing is the quality of some of the plastic trim – a bit low-rent and scratchy for my liking – and on some of the touchpoints too. It wouldn’t put me off, but it is a sign that Renault has been careful with the budget in order to keep the list price down.

There is cutting-edge technology under the skin, however. There’s an LFP battery and a 60 kW motor. Performance is fine, with a 0-62mph sprint time of 12.1 seconds, though it feels quicker than that in real-world driving. Top speed is around 80mph. Of more interest is the range and Renault says up to 163 miles will be possible.

In city driving that may well be the case, but on my partly hilly test route, and with my usual brisk driving style, I would say 140 to 145 miles will be nearer the mark. Fast charging up to 50 kW DC is possible.

There will be two trim levels – Evolution and Techno. Both are well equipped, the top model adding such niceties as adaptive cruise control, a multimedia system with Google built-in, automatic climate control and One Pedal driving. I would spend the extra.

After my drive, I posted a few photographs on my social media channels (@ytimesmotoring on X and Instagram if you want to follow me) and the response was huge. Most were complimentary on thabout the styling and to know more. Well, here we are!

So, has Renault got another hit on its hands? I’m quite sure it has. Your local showroom will doubtless be busier than ever, with three great smaller EVs to inspect. And I am delighted that we are now seeing a raft of compact, affordable EVs coming to market. Not everyone either wants or needs a large, pricy electric car.

With fuel prices creeping ever higher, many more of us are now considering switching to fully electric motoring, and the new Renault Twingo might just be a jolly fine place to start.

Vive la difference, vive la France. Good job Renault.