Renault Twizy Review: If Cars Did Acid

Under the hood

Don't worry, your afternoon cup of tea hasn't been spiked with acid. With a single, large Renault badge blazed across the 'hood', it's pretty obvious that this hot set of funky wheels is different from the other motors lining our streets. If Simon Cowell did car reviews, he'd probably say that the Twizy possesses the X Factor. Fortunately he doesn't; we've already got enough chest cleavage and dodgy haircuts in CT HQ to cover us for the rest of the automotive launch calendar.

Shunning the combustion engine, Renault have decided to test out their Zero Emissions premise, and fit this "quadricycle" with a 17bhp electric whizzer. Or should that be whizy. For the sake of banter, the press pack lists a sprint time of 6.1 seconds... for the Twizy to accelerate to 28mph. Stop laughing.

Behind the wheel

What you get in return for no windows, no doors (if you forget to option them up for £545) and no heated seats (a must have in the 21st Century dahling) is an absolutely cracking bundle of joy. Clamber in, twist the key in the ignition, wait for the bong (ahem), release the handbrake, press D and whack your foot on the fast pedal. With a faint electric whir, the Twizy jolts out of the blocks and you realise two things: 1) That windows are for losers and 2) That you can't stop smiling.

The sensation is magnified when bringing a friend along for the ride. In true tandem-style, you must be straddled to gain access to this next level of fun. Just be warned: there's a hole in the driver's seat to prevent rain stopping play and to allow drainage, but be sure to cover this up if riding duo, for fear of catching a different form of wet arse.

Us car writing folk often complain about "lack of feeling". Whilst my regular advice would be to ditch the protection (read: airbags) and go for the no frills approach to motoring, with the Twizy you have the freedom to try out crazy stuff you wouldn't normally be able to do. Chronic understeering round a country corner? Check. Full wheel lock-up skid? Check. Ball around with the scissor doors up? Hell yeah.

Splash the cash?

What the Twizy tango comes down to then is application versus cost. In non-nerd speak, that's how useful is this vehicle in rainy England and is it cheap? Well you can buy a base spec Renault Twizy for £6,690 and while it obviously achieves infinite economy, the range doesn't hold up to the advertised 62 miles, especially because you'll tend to drive this 'quad' with throttle constantly pegged.

Could this be an inner-city option for someone who wants a bit more than just a moped? We think so. The Twizy will never hit mainstream markets, but with token sales servicing the Kavos ladz market, it might just catch on.

Now that's a wrap.