I've driven a few hot Renaults in my day. A 5 Turbo, a couple of Megane RS's, a Clio RS, the R26 Formula 1 car (that's meant to sound all blasé-like). For the most part, I've been impressed.
The guys over there in the RenaultSport factory in Dieppe, France where the newest RS, the Twingo, comes from, seem to be motoring purists to the bone. From what I can tell they don't give a fig about suspensions that are too firm or interiors that are too austere.
Most of these RS models are intended for hard-core enthusiasts and the garish paint jobs and (optional) sticker kits will back me up there. I'm guessing the only reason they fit aircon and a radio to RS models is because senior management makes them.
So the Renault Twingo microcar made its South African debut late in 2008 and wasted no time souping itself up to boy-racer spec. It's like a hot-hatch lite. Similar taste but with less calories, er... kiloWatts than its Megane and Clio counterparts.
Nearly every nook and cranny of this Twingo has been motorsportified. There are racier exterior bits, big wheels with low-profile tyres, orange seat belts, bucket seats, a drag racing-style shift light on the RS-specific tachometer and a long list of other "race me, race me" parts too long to list.
It's a tiny package but it's exploding at its seam-welds with attitude but you must understand that when I say "exploding" I really mean "popping" in a Christmas cracker sort of way. There's enough pep to catch your attention but it'll never really get your palms sweating or adrenal glands pumping.
It's like RenaultSport's chassis developers went berserk in preparation for a powerhouse engine that never materialised. The car's small porportions, combined with work done to the suspension, help this car to change direction quicker than Maria Sharapova's ponytail but its handling capabilities far outweigh its tractability and acceleration.
This car could happily cope with more poke.
It's a shame, really, because a lot of work has gone into this 1.6-litre marvel. It's been developed specifically by RenaultSport for this car and has cool stuff such as a branch manifold, aluminium plenum chamber and a fancy throttle body. All the ingredients to make a small motor run like Usain Bolt runs 100m.
LONG RATIOS DON'T HELP
It revs like a champion and, besides a tiny flat spot (I blame the overworked ECU trying to cope with altitude) pulls smoothly to 7000rpm. It just doesn't feel like 98kW. Not even close.
Longish gear ratios don't help. I reckon if they could knock a tooth or two off each cog in the transmission this Twingo would at least feel a little more awake. It's a slow and lazy progression through the rev range from when you hook a gear to the needle approaching the red line and, although the car is cooking by the time it gets there, it just seems to take so long to do so.
Great for comfortable cruising, though that's not the point of this car.
At 3.6m long, bumper to bumper, the Twingo is indeed a small car. Unlike other superminis, it always feels small, too. But, same as its softer 1.2-litre Twingo sibling, precious cabin space has been used well and those ingenious sliding rear seats can be very handy.
CHILD EMERGENCY
My sister and her newborn were quite impressed by being able to stand in the rear while hooking the baby seat to its anchors once they were adjusted to their rearmost position. She could also change the baby's nappy in the boot with the seats all the way forward.
Sorry, Renault... it was an emergency.
I also loved the RS's pedals. Like a CD player's buttons, they're imprinted with 'pause', 'stop' and 'play' symbols. Get it? Brilliant! Yes, they're an option, but a must-have.
VERDICT
Dynamite comes in small packages they say... Well, in this case, it's more like a firecracker or a loud snap of the fingers. But what did you expect? Surely you didn't think I was about to announce a car called Twingo as the quickest of all hot hatches?
To be fair, most of the RenaultSportness here is found in aesthetic bling scattered about and, although the engine and suspension are tweaked a bit, it would be fair to simply call this car a Twingo 1.6.
However, mention must be made that SA-spec Twingo RS models are built to "Sport" specification and a "Cup" model that's not available locally features even stiffer, lower suspension and 17" alloy rims. In my humble opinion, which I'm sure I share with RenaultSport's engineers, RS models should be outrageously firm on the butt.
Perhaps the RS designation should be reserved for Cup chassis?
SPEFIFICATIONS
Engine:
In-line, quad-valve four displacing 1598cc and fed by fuel-injection.
Maximum power and torque:
98kW at 6750rpm, 160Nm at 4400rpm. CO2 emissions 165g/km.
Transmission:
Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive.
Suspension:
Front: Macpherson strut, aluminium lower control arm; anti-roll bar. Rear: Flexible beam with coil springs.
Steering:
Electric variable power assistance to rack-and-pinion, height adjustment on steering column.
Brakes:
Anti-lock ventilated discs front, solid discs rear.
Wheels/Tyres:
16" alloy shod with 195/45 radials.
Dimensions:
Length 3607mm. width 1688mm, height 1460mm. Mass 1049kg.
Fuel tank:
40 litres.
Boot:
230-959 litres depending on how rear seats set.
Performance:
(at Gauteng altitude using Racelogic Vbox) Top speed 201km/h, 0-60km/h 5.2sec, 0-100km/h 11.7sec
Quarter-mile (402.3m):
18.2sec.
Overtaking acceleration:
60-120km/h in fourth 14.9sec.
Standard equipment:
Power windows and external mirrors, trip data computer, cruise control, radio/CD with MP3 plug and auxiliary input.
Crash protection:
Three-point seat belts, four crash bags.
After-sales support:
Three years or 100 000km warranty, three years or 45 000km service plan.
Fuel consumption:
9.1 litres/100km.
Service intervals:
15 000km
Price: R195 000.
Rivals:
Citroen C2 1.6 VTS (94kW/143Nm) - R164 000
Fiat Panda 100HP (74kW/131Nm) - R154 200
Toyota Yaris TS (98kW/173Nm) - R225 900