According to a report from Autonews Europe, Renault has abandoned plans to make a three-door version of its new rear-engined Twingo (featuring a platform shared with the next Smart models), and the only body style to be offered will be a five-door hatch. They say the decision was made in order to boost the practical appeal of the car, so that more men buy it.
It is no secret that the current variant of the city runabout, now in its second generation, is primarily bought by women, and the only one a bloke would not mind being seen in is the peppy RS 133.
Renault also promises unbeatable interior space, thanks to the rear mounting of the engine, enabling the dash to be pushed forward, while extensive personalization options have apparently turned out to be more successful than even they thought they were going to be – that may sound good, but it’s actually a very relative thing to say (Renault’s words, not ours).
Still, I personally don’t get it why they are altering the formula so much. Sure lots of women buy the current Twingo because it’s very small and easy to maneuver, but do they want to transition to a model which will be predominantly bought by men? Why not have both, and let the buyers choose, not do it for them and hope they go with it.
Expect to see this five-door, rear-wheel driven third-gen Twingo make its debut in Europe towards the end of 2014.
Note: Renault Twin’Z pictured above (the five-door variant of the two recently-revealed concepts), which we de-saturated and gave some standard-looking rims, just to get a feel of what it will be like.
By Andrei Nedelea
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