All-electric Renault Twin-Z concept revealed

The new Renault Twin-Z concept will influence a production car next year, thought to be the next Twingo. 

An electric supermini, the Twin-Z is described as a sister car to a three-door, rear-drive hatch concept that will appear next month. The Twin-Z is also rear-drive, but uses an electric motor instead of a combustion engine and has five doors.

It isn’t hugely powerful or quick - 67bhp and 167lb ft, for a top speed of 81kph - but at 3623mm long it is small and with a weight of 980kg, which is fairly light. 

It also has a sophisticated suspension set up for a car of its size, with double wishbones at the rear and adjustable Ohlins dampers, while the wheel-at-each-corner stance gives the car a more planted look. Moving the wheels and associated suspension components to the car’s corners also frees up interior space. 

The car’s design is a collaboration between Renault and British designer Ross Lovegrove, who has worked on projects from a bicycle made from bamboo to the interior of Lufthansa’s first class cabins. Lovegrove also designed the wheels, and Michelin developed a bespoke set of tyres for the car. 

The car has powered suicide doors, which allow the central pillar to be dispensed with, opening up the cabin. The entire interior is covered in lights which follow the contours of the cabin, and the seats have been made as thin and as light as possible. They’re covered in a waterproof, fire-retardant material, and the seat frame is visible through the fabric to further lighten the cabin. The infotainment system is controlled from a tablet mounted in the middle of the dash. 

Much of the Twin-Z's detailing is purely conceptual, but expect the next Twingo to be available as a five door as well as a three door. Renault also wants the car to have a high degree of customisation, to compete with the likes of the Fiat 500 and Mini.

Dan Stevens