The Twingo Won’t Live Past Its Current Generation, But Renault Won’t Abandon Segment (Update)

Renault replied to CarScoops essentially confirming the news that the Twingo will be phased off after the end of its product cycle. However, Renault spokesperson, Yann Chénot, told us that the company will not leave the city car segment with the Twingo to be essentially replaced by a production car based on the Renault 5 EV prototype.

“Luca de Meo statements in the press refer to the upcoming EURO 7 regulatory deadline,” said Chenot. “The Twingo was renewed in 2019 (2nd phase of a 3rd generation launched in 2014) with an electric version launched at the end of 2020 and a Sce65 petrol version still available in the catalogue. It will continue its life cycle until then.”

“Moreover, we will be among the rare manufacturers to maintain a dual thermal/electric offer in this segment. However, we are not abandoning the small car segment, as demonstrated by the Renault 5 prototype that we presented at Renaulution,” he added.

Original article follows below

The Twingo will not live past its current generation, as Renault has decided to pull the plug on it.

It is uncertain when the French city car will be fully discontinued, but considering that the third generation has been around since 2014, we reckon it won’t be long.

The decision was confirmed earlier this week by CEO Luca de Meo who told LeMonde, “it’s a shame to give up on these types of vehicles, but small combustion-powered cars will disappear because of the rules of the game”, adding that “you can’t make such a model on your own.”

Those “rules of the game” mentioned by de Meo are likely Europe’s future emission standards. The Euro 7 will come into effect sometime in 2025 and will be followed by a total phase-out of vehicles powered by fossil fuels.

A rival to the likes of the A-segment cars sold in Europe, the Twingo was fully electrified last year, getting the automaker’s Z.E. moniker. It uses an R80 motor that drives the rear wheels, developing 81 HP (82 PS / 60 kW) and 118 lb-ft (160 Nm) of torque.

The performance is nothing to write home about, with 12.9 seconds required for the 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint and an 84 mph (135 km/h) top speed.

In the WLTP city cycle, the Twingo Z.E. has a driving range of up to 168 miles (270 km). Charging the 22 kWh battery pack with alternating current (AC) for 30 minutes will give it a range of around 50 miles (80 km).

Note: We contacted Renault to find out more about it, so watch this space for possible updates.