ALL SMILES AS NEW TWINGO REVEALED

Renault's latest retro reboot is a new electric version of its iconic city car from the nineties

- Ellis Hyde

THE Renault Twingo has been reborn as an electric city car and could cost close to £17,000, when it goes on sale in the UK next year. Plus it represents a new era of innovation for the firm, having been developed in half the time it would normally take for a brand-new car.

The new Renault is almost identical to the concept that was revealed just two years ago and inspired by the iconic original from the nineties. The goal was to revive the spirit of that car and make sure the new model is recognisable as a Twingo, without being a mere “copy and paste”, Renault Group's head of design Laurens van den Acker told us.

The new car's distinguishing feature are the LED front lights. These form the eyes of a ‘face’, while the plastic grille between them gives the car a cheeky smile.

The rounded body is one of many elements borrowed from the original, as are the stubby front end and short overhangs. But the three slats on the bonnet aren't air intakes; this is where you fill the windscreen washer fluid, using a special tool to open the panel. Fans of the original will remember that it was only a three-door model, whereas this new model is a five-door to make getting into the back easier.

Renault has hidden the seals around the windows to make the Twingo look a touch more premium. Plus it added overriders into the bumpers for extra protection against the kind of bumps you might get on busy city streets or in a supermarket car park.

Finally, the rear features similarly distinctive LED lights plus a large, almost vertical screen with a thick plastic surround that van den Acker says reminds him of the cinderblock-like TV sets from the nineties. He also said the Twingo's badge was inspired by buttons on a PlayStation controller.