Renault Twingo Renaultsport Cup 133 3dr Car Review - March 2012

The Renault Twingo Renaultsport version is well-suited for city driving. It bodes well zipping in and out of city streets and tight parking areas. With its 1598 cc 4-cylinder 16-valve engine producing 133bhp at 6750 rpm, this car is an engaging drive. It develops a torque of 118 lb-ft at 4400 rpm.

It rides reasonably well and the firmer sports suspension is quite supple. The Renaultsport version has decent road grip and handles corners well where body roll is controlled.

The engine has to be worked hard to get to speed so it is not as quiet as some of its rivals in the same price range. Wind and road noise are kept to reasonable levels however and the cabin is generally fairly quiet. Visibility is good.

The Twingo Renaultsport can reach 62 mph in 8.7s and has a top speed of 125 mph.

The interior of the Twingo is ok but certainly not one its strong points and that is carried on with the RenaultSport. The mini hatchback is fitted with a contemporary dashboard with a sassy rev-counter, metal pedals and sporty seats but the looks and feel of the cabin remain to be plain and cheap. However, the switches and control buttons are sturdy, well-laid out and easy to use. This version is a 4-seater.

The RenaultSport Twingo comes fully equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, automatic headlamps, rain sensitive wipers, a RenaultSport rev counter with gear-change reminder light, front foglights, MP3/iPod connectivity, CD player and power steering. Also inclusive are heated and electrically adjustable mirrors.

There are only two cost options and those are metallic paint and rear parking sensors. For comfort and ease this version has wider rear and front tracks than a standard car.

The Twingo Renaultsport Cup 133 is a 3-door coupe thus making access to the rear seats not as easy. However they can be slid back and forth for adjustments so the regular boot space of 280 litres can be adjusted to only 165 litres for more rear seat space. With the rear seats folded or down, the boot space expands to 959 litres, which is respectable for the class. There are also pockets of storage all over the cabin for convenience.

The Twingo is not a large car but it’s cleverly designed. However it would have been better if the cabin had more headroom.

Twingo Renaultsport earned a rating of 4/5 stars in the Euro NCAP crash safety tests. The score is not particularly impressive but on par with most of its rivals. Safety kit includes front and side airbags, ABS and electronic stability program. Reliability-wise, Renault’s record is not quite as flawless.

Entry level versions of the Twingo are priced fairly although some rivals have more to offer. The Renault Twingo RenaultSport is £12,210 and more expensive than the more accomplished and versatile Clio. It also doesn't come with a brilliant range of equipment.

The model has CO2 emissions of 155g/km and has a combined mpg of 42.2. These figures are somewhat respectable but the more efficient Twingo would be the 1.2 Dynamique, with an average 55.4 mpg and an emission rating of 119g/km. Depreciation isn't too bad so resale values should be decent.