Autoblog

Click image for 32-photo hires gallery

We got a peek at the New Twingo earlier this week thanks to info that leaked in advance of the Geneva show. Now that the car's been formally introduced, we have more info on Renault's baby hatch. The New Twingo is based on the last-gen Clio architecture, comes in three trim levels, has a pair of engine options, and is designed to be fun yet economical and versatile. Our favorite is the GT (shown above) which has 100 horses worth of giddyup coming from its 1.2L turbo engine. Combined fuel economy on it is over 39 mpg, and a 75-horsepower NA 1.2L is also available.

A look at the interior photos in the gallery show that the cabin's a bit plastacular, with a center-mounted instrument cluster used to facilitate easy production of either left or right-hand-drive versions. The sportier Dynamique and GT models get a tach affixed to the steering column, while a digital display shows key information like the car's speed and fuel gauge. The glovebox can be equipped with a proper USB connection that allows browsing and playback of music libraries on hard drives, MP3 players, and iPods. All four seats slide fore and aft independently, and the front passenger seat flips down to increase overall storage capacity and provide an additional arms-length-away place to keep stuff in the form of the seatback's netting. There's even a weird-looking rubber storage thingy that fits in the car's dash-top cubby. Bluetooth connectivity is also available, which seems pretty impressive for a car like this. Buyers, if they're so inclined, can even dress the car up through the application of one of four available decal sets, which add an artsy flavor to the little hatch's exterior. So, say goodbye to the friendly/quirky-looking old Twingo (above right). It's matured into a car that looks to be a lot more practical yet just as endearing to its followers.

The full New Twingo story is laid out in detail, courtesy of Renault, after the jump.

[Source: Renault]