This car was not intended for the UK market. Originally Renault was only going to import the better equipped and more powerful Twingo Dynamique, GT and the RenaultSport Twingo.

But now there’s been a change of heart, officially because of the UK’s growing demand for cheaper, greener, cars. And the base Twingo, complete with a 1.2-litre petrol engine, has come to these shores. With 59bhp and 69lb ft of torque it’s no firecracker, and although it’s cheaper than the rest of the range, it still looks pricey compared to city car rivals.

The Twingo Extreme has many strong points; it rides very well, has class-leading boot space, four Euro NCAP stars and fits a full spare tyre into a car weighing just 950kg and measuring 3800mm in length. The chassis, which proves such a joy in the GT, also shines in this base car, though even on the 6000rpm redline you won’t be going anywhere very fast.

read full blog autocar.co.uk