Renault New Twingo Goes On Sale Next Month
28 May 2007
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| The New Twingo. |
Renault is beginning sales of its revamped New Twingo on 15 June 2007. The New Twingo is the first new vehicle release in an extensive range renewal program under the Renault Commitment 2009 plan, and all New Twingos, regardless of engine choice, are part of Renault’s new eco2 appellation. (Earlier post.)
The new Twingo offers the downsized 1.2-liter TCE (Turbo Control Efficiency) 100hp (74kW) gasoline engine in addition to 1.2-liter 60hp (43kW) 75hp (56kW) gasoline units and a 1.5 dCi 65hp (47 kW) diesel. All New Twingo versions, even the most powerful, emit 140g of CO2 per km or less, with the diesel version emitting just 113g. All New Twingo engines are Euro-4 compliant.
TCE 100hp. New Twingo joins Clio III and Modus as the latest recipient of the new TCE 100hp engine. The engine combines the fuel consumption of a 1.2-liter engine with the power of a 1.4-liter powerplant and the torque of a 1.6-liter engine. The TCE 100hp is based on the 1.2 16V 75hp block (with which it shares 70% of its parts) and is equipped with a low inertia turbo that minimizes lag thanks its small diameter turbine and compressor.
The combination of its small size and low inertia turbo ensures “feisty” performance from low revs, according to Renault, while maximum torque is available from very low down and across a particularly broad rev band.
The turbo comes with an overpower function that enables drivers to benefit from a temporary power and torque increase of 5hp and 6Nm respectively in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears at engine speeds of more than 4,500rpm. Advanced technology and contained size support fuel consumption of 5.9 l/100km (40 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 140g/km, while still delivering 0-100kph acceleration of 9.8 seconds.
1.5 dCi 65hp. Unlike its predecessor, New Twingo is also available with a diesel engine. The 1.5 dCi (K9K) engine will be available from launch and is identical to the existing Clio III, Modus and Kangoo powerplant.
The engine features a second-generation fuel-injection system. Fuel consumption is 4.3 l/100km (55 mpg US), with CO2 emissions of just 113g/km.
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| New Twingo’s recycled plastic and renewable materials. Click to enlarge. |
eco2. In addition to meeting a CO2 emission target of 140 g/km or less, eco2 vehicles need to use at least 5% recycled plastic materials. New Twingo features 9% recycled plastic materials (15kg) and 13kg of renewable resource materials, in the form of latex, cotton, leather, card and wood.
The cars are designed to be 95% reutilizable by weight at the end of their useful lives, through recycling and energy-from-waste. Extensive use of polypropylene improves recyclability prospects. Special part coding was stepped up to facilitate sorting at the breaker’s yard: all plastic parts weighing more than 100g and all elastomer (e.g. rubber) parts weighing more than 200g are coded with material symbols, for easy end-of-life sorting and transfer to the appropriate recycling process.
Renault has sold more than 2.4 million Twingos since the model launch in April 1993. The New Twingo targets a broader, more international customer base than its predecessor, and rounds out Renault’s coverage of the small-car segment alongside Clio Campus, Modus and Clio III.
Am i going to be able to buy this in canada?
Posted by: Brad | 28 May 2007 at 11:16 AM
I hope this makes it to the states too, as maybe a Nissan?
I won't hold my breath, however.
Posted by: William | 28 May 2007 at 11:21 AM
I'm old enough to remember the Renault LeCar & Fuego.
Renault's problem in the US was distribution rather than
product. With Nissan maybe it's possible they'll return or re badge them as Nissans.
Posted by: DS | 28 May 2007 at 12:33 PM
LOL ... that is old ;)
Posted by: Neil | 28 May 2007 at 01:59 PM
I saw an old Renault this afternoon, it was spewing smoke all over and was clearly missing first gear. There is a reason why they did not sell in the US.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz | 28 May 2007 at 09:04 PM
Renault is known in europe for their excellent engines.
Formula 1 cars with renault engines have won many grand prix races around the globe. While visiting germany this
year, I drove a renault stationwagon with a 1.5 liter
turbodiesel engine..fun to drive and around 45mpg, I wish I could have taken that car in my luggage. I am a german who lives and works in the states, so I have no reason to
advocate french cars.
Posted by: Mike Weindl | 28 May 2007 at 09:39 PM
It appears that Nissan is planning on adding 3 subcompact cars to their US lineup in the near future.
Nissan launching 3 subcompact cars in US next year
I would assume these would be 3 JDM models, but the Twingo is manufactured in Slovenia which could also make it a profitable export to the US.
Posted by: Planck | 28 May 2007 at 09:53 PM
@ Mike Weindl,
thank you for polluting the air driving a Diesel over here;)
Yes, you should have taken that Renault Diesel crap overseas.
Posted by: Michel | 29 May 2007 at 02:23 AM
Please Michel, if you cannot compete on the idea front, dot not bother posting.
Posted by: Bob L | 29 May 2007 at 06:08 AM
Yes, Carlos Ghosn, please bring more small cars (direct injection gasoline or clean diesel- please) to the US via your Nissan arm. You'll certainly sell every one of them as fuel prices will continue to rise over time.
Michel, I second Bob L's comments... Your diesel-bashing is rather old. Clean diesels with exhaust after treatment are making huge strides.
Regardless of individual bent, GCC should be a place to positively discuss all innovations that have the potential to reduce our consumption of oil- whether we agree with their merits or not.
Posted by: DieselHybrid | 29 May 2007 at 08:24 AM
With this in mind, I'll do my best to limit my "Hype-brid" tyrades. :)
Posted by: DieselHybrid | 29 May 2007 at 08:26 AM
What, no 0-60 time for the diesel? I would guess maybe 0-60 in 14 to 15 seconds. They wouldn't be able to sell more than a few thousand a year (if even that).
"Overpower" in 2nd, 3rd and 4th just sounds like a sloppy wastegate on the turbo.
100hp would be plenty if they could make the vehicle as light as or lighter than a Lotus Elise. Of course, then Americans wouldn't buy it for fear of its diminutive size and low weight (being "unsafe") even if the performance were pushed up a bit more.
Posted by: Patrick | 29 May 2007 at 08:33 AM
I saw an old Ford this afternoon, spewing smoke all over, dripping coolant and the P.S. pump was louder than the engine. There is a reason that they dont sell well in the U.S..
Posted by: BillW | 29 May 2007 at 08:59 AM
Bring these to the US and lets see if they sell,
Even the big 3 US manufacturers know that people buy horsepower but drive torque, let the cars come to the US and let the dealers do their thing.
As for only selling a few thousand a year:
a. that alone will radically improve the CO2 output for those drivers
b. i am sure that is what someone said about the prius once, oh yes it was GM!
Posted by: Kevin | 29 May 2007 at 09:58 AM
a) I doubt it will radically improve the CO2 emissions. Someone willing to suffer through the very slow acceleration (we are talking difficult to merge onto a US highway slow) probably already willingly drives anything that may be slow (or not) to achieve better fuel economy. This would not sell to the masses...it would just make the few environmentally conscience able to have a smaller impact then they currently do.
b) I'm not GM and the Prius has better performance. How many Generation 1 prius sold each year? How many generation 2? If you push the performance of this vehicle up (equivalent to the difference between gen 1 ad gen 2 prius) the fuel economy gain won't be nearly as good. Look at the number one complaint by Scion xB owners: Lack of power. What happened? They put in a 2.4L 4 cylinder engine with much, much worse gas mileage than the 1.5L 106hp engine it used to have. Same thing with the xA (on a slightly smaller scale going from 1.5L to only 1.8L).
Posted by: Patrick | 29 May 2007 at 04:22 PM
To me the best thing about this vehicle is the use of recycled and recyclable plastics.
Posted by: Patrick | 29 May 2007 at 04:23 PM
No reason why this won't come over (to Canada at least) in the form of the Nissan Note which is Renault Twingo/Modus/ Clio III chassis. The Note has been on sale for 2 years now and has proven succesful already with the 1.5dci taking the best chuck of sales.
With regards to merging onto the motorway, are you kidding me! are you telling me that in third gear with 150lb ft of torque and your foot to the floor (no-one puts their foot to the floor these days) this car will not get to 65mph or 100km/h to safely merge.
A 5 year old GM or Ford MPV (mini-van), not to mention a laden truck, will probably struggle more than a modus dci, I feel that comment is unduly harsh. remeber power to weight ratio, not just power.
Posted by: Twin Go | 30 May 2007 at 07:28 AM
Clean Diesel? Maybe in the USA (but hardly sold) but not in Eurpe now and in the years to come. Thus, it´s my duty and right to come forward with critical and sometimes sarcastically comments in this forum about Diesel cars and people who uncritical about the negativ side effects of Diesel engine cheer for the Diesel.
It´s about my health and the health of my family, friends and everyone else I am concerned about.
Posted by: Michel | 30 May 2007 at 07:36 AM
Btw, there is a light on the horizon. Droping Diesel sells in Europe until 2020! Better exhaust gas aftertreatment at around 2014 (quite late) makes the Diesel expensive. Modern patrol engine will only differ 10% in fuel consumption compeared to the Diesel. Than, Diesel makes almost no scence anymore.
http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf
Article:
http://www.atkearney.de/content/misc/wrapper.php/id/49907/area/automotive/name/pdf_eb_19_powertrain_secure_11805159754720.pdf
(Summery in German with some English comments)
Posted by: Michel | 30 May 2007 at 08:07 AM
150lb-ft of torque or 1000lb-ft of torque does NO work.
Horsepower (or watts) is the expression of how much work can be done by that force in a given amount of time. If you can create 1000lb-ft of torque but only accomplish 50horsepower you won't be accelerating anywhere very fast.
Tell me why, with all this torque, it is so slow to 60mph? Power to weight ratio will matter but why does no one ever say torque (or force) to weight ratio? If this vehicle is 1000lbs, then 60hp is great. If this vehicle is 2000lbs, then 60hp won't be enough and average American consumers won't buy it regardless of the torque output.
Tell me why, with 295lb ft of torque from the electric motor plus another 82lb ft from the gasoline engine you can barely get to 60 in 10 seconds for a prius? Torque is all that matters right? [granted at 1200rpm you are probably only making around 50 to 60lb-ft of torque from the gasoline engine]. Roughly 8.5lbs of Toyota Prius per lb-ft of torque versus the 17.6lbs of car per lb-ft of torque of the Honda S2000. The S2000 gets to 60mph in half the time of the Prius with half the torque and it is only 80lbs lighter.
Posted by: Patrick | 30 May 2007 at 11:29 AM
from what we see over here of Americas motorways they
seem to be practically stationary , so merging should not
present any problem even on a bicycle!
Posted by: andrichrose | 31 May 2007 at 08:26 AM
from what we see over here of Americas motorways they
seem to be practically stationary , so merging should not
present any problem even on a bicycle!
Posted by: andrichrose | 31 May 2007 at 08:26 AM
Andrichrose, I concede...I think I could have walked faster than the traffic flows on many highways here near Seattle.
Posted by: Patrick | 31 May 2007 at 02:49 PM
A 1.5L diesel putting out 65 HP and returning 55 mpg?! Those are unimpressive numbers. My '01 VW TDI with it's now ancient 1.9L, 2V/cylinder, rotary pump engine easily gets 51 mpg and puts out 90 HP/ 155 ft*lbs. A modern common-rail 1.5L diesel should be *easily* getting 60 mpg mixed city/hwy in a relatively aerodynamic, sub-3000 lb. car.
Wake me up when there's some news...
Posted by: mdt | 01 June 2007 at 12:53 PM
I used to have a 1971 Renault 5 (this was in 1990). I believe this was the first year for the 5 and Renault simply took a Renault 4 and slapped a R5 body on it. It had the unique French gear shift through the dash board which was famous in the Citroen 2CV, Ami and the Renault 4. It was ATOMIC ORANGE (it glowed)! It barely passed the Controle Technique (Inspection Sticker)... It finally died on the Paris Périphérique. I was on my way to a friends house to replace the leaky carburator (It cost me $80 (US) to fill the tank in 1990), when the water pump siezed in the middle of morning traffic on the Périphérique. Black smoke was pouring out from where the belt burned. I never managed to get the car properly registered (Carte grise) because the Préfecture was always packed. So I gave tow truck a bogus address and just cut my losses. I loved that car!
Jeffrey Hughes
North Carolina
Posted by: Jeffrey Hughes | 09 June 2007 at 08:16 PM