- City car gains Renault’s EDC transmission as option
- Available in Dynamique TCe90 and Dynamique S TCe90 versions
- Number of further changes to the Twingo’s equipment available in Renault dealerships now
- Twingo with EDC transmission priced from £12,595 available to order now, with first deliveries from January
Renault’s Efficient Dual Clutch transmission, known as EDC, has been introduced on its ingenious urban runaround Twingo. The multiple award-winning city car gains the innovative automatic gearbox for the popular TCe90 engine just over a year after launch, resulting in a number of benefits for the customer.
The introduction on Twingo means that Renault’s EDC transmission is now available across the majority of its range. EDC is an automatic dual dry clutch transmission dispensing with the need for a clutch pedal. Gearshift control is of the ‘P-R-N-D’ type, plus an ‘up/down’ shift mode. The ideal gear is selected by an electronic control unit and gearshifts are both automatic and comfortable.
Available for £900 more than the equivalent manual version, the introduction of the EDC transmission offers the driver and passengers a smooth journey thanks to an ultrafast shift time of 290ms. The transmission’s ‘creep’ control also helps the driver in crawling traffic, pulling away gradually when the brake pedal is released. The EDC transmission also offers Hill Start Assist as standard, ensuring safe hill starts when partnered with the ‘creep’ control system.
The Twingo EDC’s 0.9-litre 90hp turbo engine is also available with Renault’s ECO mode, cutting fuel consumption by up to 10%. Actionable by the driver, the mode modifies the management of the gearbox ECU (Electronic Control Unit), enabling gear shifts at lower rpm.
Changes have also been made to the Twingo’s specification, with six-spoke 15” inch ‘Ariane’ alloy wheels becoming standard on Dynamique trim, replacing the 15” ‘Exception’ alloys. Customers will also be able to choose from the option of having extra-tinted rear windows on Dynamique and Dynamique S trim levels.
The five-door, four-seater Twingo is priced from £9,495. Its highly unusual rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout allows it to be both compact and spacious. Because the engine is mounted at an angle of 49 degrees to the vertical, the Twingo still manages to provide a capacious boot of between 219 (seats in cargo) and 980 litres (seats folded). Another highly beneficial effect of the mechanical layout is the class-leading turning circle of less than 8.6 metres, because the movement of the front wheels is not restricted by the engine.
The Twingo is available in four versions, powered by a choice of two three-cylinder engines – a 1.0-litre 70hp normally aspirated unit or a 0.9-litre 90hp turbo. Both endow the Twingo with to match its agile, nimble handling.
The Twingo is fully connected to the outside world through the standard smartphone-operated R&GO® feature or Renault’s optional R-Link multimedia system with seven-inch touch-screen, and offers a huge range of personalisation options so that buyers can create a bespoke car.
As with all new Renaults, Twingo is covered by a four-year warranty that offers unlimited-mileage cover in the first two years and then two further years of protection up to 100,000 miles. Four years roadside assistance cover is also included.