Top 5 Reasons to Avoid the Renault Twingo: Why This “Cheap” EV Might Cost You More in the Long Run

The Renault Twingo 2025 looks adorable and promises sub-£20,000 (~₹22 lakh) electric motoring, but don’t let the smiley face fool you. From painfully slow charging to cramped visibility, underpowered performance, questionable build quality, and zero brand presence in key markets like India, this city car is a hard pass for anyone outside narrow European urban niches. Here’s why you should swipe left on Renault’s budget EV gamble — even if it is the cutest thing on four wheels.

1. Charging So Slow It’ll Make You Miss Petrol Pumps

Let’s start with the biggest dealbreaker: 50 kW DC fast charging. That’s it. No 100 kW. No 85 kW. Just 50 kW on a 27.2 kWh battery.

Sure, Renault says 10–80% in 30 minutes — but that’s only under perfect lab conditions. In the real world? Expect 40–50 minutes at a public charger, and that’s if the station isn’t throttled or shared.

Compare that to rivals:

• MG Comet EV (India): 50 kW → ~35 mins (similar battery)
• Tata Tiago EV: 50 kW → but with wider network support
• Even the Dacia Spring (same group!) feels less painful because it’s cheaper and expects less

And no preheat function means cold-weather charging crawls even slower.

Bottom Line: If you ever leave the city — or live anywhere with sparse fast chargers — the Twingo will strand your plans. This isn’t a “city car.” It’s a prisoner of the postcode.

2. Performance That Belongs in a Museum (The 1990s One)

82 bhp. 3.8 seconds to 50 km/h. That’s all Renault will tell you — because they refuse to quote 0–100 km/h. Why? Because it’s embarrassing.

Real-world estimates put it at ~14–15 seconds to 100 km/h — slower than a 2010 Maruti Swift diesel.

Yes, it’s light (1.2 tons), but:

• Merging onto highways? Terrifying
• Overtaking on single-lane roads? Impossible
• Hill climbs with 3 passengers? It’ll cry

And no all-wheel drive, no torque vectoring, no sport mode — just a single rear motor wheezing along.

Verdict: If you thought “slow and steady wins the race,” the Twingo proves slow and steady gets rear-ended.

3. Visibility So Bad You’ll Need a Periscope

The Twingo’s high dashboard and thick A-pillars create a letterbox windscreen — you can’t see the end of the bonnet, let alone the car in front at a junction.

Renault brags about the smiley face, but inside? It’s a claustrophobic tunnel.

• Rear visibility: Tiny glass, huge C-pillars → blind spot city
• Side mirrors: Small, vibrates at speed
• No 360° camera on base trim (only self-parking on top model)

In India? Where roads are chaos and pedestrians appear from nowhere? This car is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Pro Tip: Bring a drone if you want to park.

4. Build Quality That Screams “We Cut Corners”

Renault proudly says they used LFP batteries and simplified production to hit the price. Translation? Cost-cutting everywhere.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Hard, scratchy plastics (even on the doors)
• Exposed metal painted to look “quirky” (it’s just cheap)
• Manual rear windows that pinch fingers
• No soft-touch surfaces — not even on the armrest
• Steering wheel from a 2015 Clio (boring, zero branding)

And outside?

• Plastic bonnet with fake vents
• Steel wheels with plastic covers (look like alloys until you tap them)
• No frunk — just a washer fluid cap under the hood

Durability Concern: Early Dacia Spring units (same platform) had rust issues within 18 months. Expect the same here.

Verdict: It’s not “minimalist.” It’s minimally built.

5. No India Launch, No Service, No Resale — A £20,000 Paperweight

Let’s be real: Renault India is dead. The last Twingo sold here? Never. The last Renault EV? Never.

• No official launch planned
• No charging standard compliance (India uses CCS2 — Twingo uses Type 2 + CCS, but untested)
• No service network outside Delhi/Mumbai
• Resale value? Zero — try selling a grey-market French EV in Tier-2 India

Even if imported via CKD (₹25–30 lakh landed):

• No ARAI certification
• No battery recycling mandate compliance
• No spare parts (order from France → 3-month wait)

Compare:

Verdict: In India, the Twingo isn’t a car. It’s a very expensive, very cute mistake.

Bonus Reason: You’ll Outgrow It in 6 Months

Think you’ll love the cute design and low running costs? You will — for exactly one summer.

Then reality hits:

• Family trip? Only 2 adults + 1 child comfortably
• Monsoon flooding? 15 cm ground clearance → underwater
• Highway toll? You’ll be the slowpoke everyone honks at
• Want to sell it? Good luck — depreciation cliff

The Twingo is a lifestyle statement, not a lifestyle solution.

Final Verdict: Cute, But Not Clever

Overall Rating: 4.2/10

“The Renault Twingo is proof that ‘affordable’ and ‘desirable’ are not the same thing.”

What to Buy Instead (India-Friendly Alternatives)

Source: New Renault Twingo: The Return Of Small Cheap Cars