Renault Teases the New Twingo ahead of Geneva Motor Show

Oh yeah, it's rear-wheel drive.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Last night, Renault teased its next city-car offering, the New Twingo. It’s small, it’s French, and if you live in America – you still can’t have one. But here are a few reasons to keep you salivating.

The previous two Twingo generations featured economical front-engine, front-drive powertains, but thankfully this next iteration will be a rear-engine, rear-drive mini. This seems like an odd choice for an affordable microcar, but the decision goes back to a 2010 agreement between Renault and Smart to develop a joint chassis for the New Twingo, ForTwo, and ForFour vehicles. Renault has been silent on available engines, but expect something to the tune of a 1.0L three-cylinder.

Exterior styling is cranked up to 11, with the choice of four flashy colors, reminiscent designs, and a popping front fascia. Touches of the Renault 5 can be seen in its rear-quarter design, as well as headlights and LED running lights that draw from last year’s Twin’Z concept. But it’s the five-door functionality, tight maneuverability and extra cabin room that will sell this car to the public.

The Twingo might be a radical tangent from the rest of the small hatchback market, but it fits nicely with Renault’s past rear-drive offerings: the monumental Clio V6 and iconic 5 Turbo. Just don’t expect it to pack the 3.5L, 320hp of last year’s Twin’Run concept. Oh well, they’re bound to make a hot version at some point. Renault will officially reveal the New Twingo on March 4, at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show

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