(2020) RENAULT ZOE vs RENAULT TWINGO (1994)
The French make fantastic city cars, but how has the recipe changed?
LOOK AT THAT SMILING LITTLE TWINGO! C’EST BON?
Oui, très bon. We’ll stop with the GCSE French, though. We’re here to pore over the recipe for what makes a great city car and see how that recipe has changed for Renault over the past three decades.
Clearly, the first step of said recipe is a cute and likeable name. Back in 1992, Renault used a mash-up of twist, swing and tango to come up with the rather lovely Twingo. If you were questioning the MkI’s success, given only a handful of imports snuck into the UK – over 2.6 million were sold, and despite European production ending in 2007, it was built right up until June 2012 in South America.
Handily, December of that same year also marked the arrival of the first-gen Zoe. How mad is that? Renault stuck with the naming strategy too, and landed on Zoe after reading Best Baby Names 2011 cover to cover – the same tag from its 2005 supermini concept.
WHAT ELSE MADE THE ORIGINAL TWINGO SO POPULAR?
When the Twingo first hit the 1992 Paris show it was considered a radical design. Inspired by the Espace MPV, it had a similar objective of maximising space for its four occupants. In fact, one major selling point was that its rear bench slid back and the front seats fully reclined, creating a makeshift double bed. Handy after one too many vinos at your favourite Parisian haunt.
It was simple too. And, crucially, a cracking bit of fun. At launch it was offered with an array of Nineties-spec primary colour options, as well as a two-spoke steering wheel, outlandish upholstery design and pastel-coloured interior plastics.
This here is a 1994 example resplendent in weathered green. It has optional electric windows and goes well with a little 1.2-litre 4cyl and five-speed manual shifting around 800kg. No rev counter or power steering, but the omission of both helps with the no frills nature and there’s no trouble keeping up with modern day traffic. You’ll just have slightly bulkier arms from all the parallel parking.
DOES THE ZOE DELIVER ON THE SAME FRONTS?
Probably not. Not to say we don’t love it – we’ve given it gongs including Best Supermini in our Electric Awards and even City Car of the Year in the 2019 TopGear.com awards. As well as a decent sized boot and pleasant driving dynamics, this new 52kWh version has an impressive 245-mile range. A huge amount more than rivals.
IT’S OBVIOUSLY KIND TO THE ENVIRONMENT TOO. SO, WHERE’S IT LACKING?
Well, in this company the Zoe is a little too serious for its own good. The interior trim is functional but dour, the looks are modern but a touch too aggressive and it’s well refined but uneventful behind the wheel. Plus, frankly, it’s flipping massive compared with the Twingo and you can’t even recline the seats flat to sleep in full comfort. Someone help Renault dig out that old recipe book.