Renault Debuts Shorter, Roomier, Thriftier Twingo City Car

Renault SA has formally introduced its third-generation Twingo city car. The mid-engine/rear-drive four-door hatch rides on a platform shared with Daimler AG's redesigned ForTwo city car.

The little car debuts with a choice of two 3-cylinder engines. The standard naturally aspirated 1.0-liter unit makes 70 hp and 67 lb-ft of torque. An optional 900-cc turbocharged unit is rated at 90 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque.

When equipped with automatic stop-start, the two engines are rated at 56 mpg and 55 mpg, respectively, on the New European Driving Cycle.

The unusually compact engines are mounted at a 49 angle and use several redesigned components that lower the height of the engine compartment by 6 inches.

Renault is introducing the Twingo with a 5-speed manual transmission. It plans to add a dual-clutch six-speed unit in September 2015.

The new car offers optional front lane-keeping and rear park assist cameras. The model is nearly 4 inches shorter than its predecessor but offers 13 inches of additional cabin length.