Renault Twizy (2012 – 2021) Review

Renault Twizy (2012 – 2021) At A Glance

Electrically powered with a 50 miles range. Quirky mix of a moped and small city two-seater. Ideal for city commuting. 5 year warranty from December 2019.

Doors are an optional extra. Minimal protection from the elements. Can't be parked in motorcycle bays or driven in bus lanes. Top speed of 53mph.

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Ask Honest John

What four wheeled car can l buy and drive with full motor cycle licence?

"What four wheeled car can l buy and drive with full motor cycle licence?"

The Renault Twizy and Citroen Ami can be driven on a full motorcycle licence as long as you hold category B1 entitlement for trikes and quads.

Answered by David Ross

Need a congestion charge friendly car - suggestions?

"My wife needs a car that can travel through London's Congestion Charge Zone with no fee as it will be a daily journey, which will also be used for work post the commute racking up approx. 100 miles per day. What can you recommend?"

There is only one proper new car: The latest model Toyota Prius on standard 15-inch wheels that qualifies by emitting 70g/k, CO2. Otherwise she has to go for a plug-in hybrid, such as a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, or a purely electric car such as a Renault Zoe or a Nissan Leaf or a Volkswagen eUp. The Zoe is reasonably affordable from £17,995 including battery but unfortunately the eUp is £25k. As a further alternative she could go for a Renault Twizy from £6,995 but would need to be able to plug it in somewhere to travel 100 miles. She could also look for a second hand G-Wizz. Or go all out and get a Tesla Model S 70 from £58,300.

Answered by Honest John

Can my wife learn to drive in a Renault Twizy?

"My wife has never had a full driving licence. I contacted Renault to ask if their electric Twizzy model is approved for learner drivers, and for taking the driving test. Despite a few calls, they have been unable to answer the question. I imagine that it is very unlikely, but it would be interesting to know. Any ideas?"

In some markets it's classed as a quadricycle. I picked this up from a road test: "A lower-powered model called the Twizy 45 (4Kw, 5hp), that can be driven without a driving licence, will also launch, and will be ideal for those yet to pass their test. However, due to prohibitive legislation, it won’t be available in the UK just yet." And: "Quadricycle regulations came into force on January 19 2013 and have prompted a re-think about the Twizy model range in the UK by Renault. The French firm’s tandem two-seat electric vehicle comes in two different guises in Europe, the conventional Twizy and the Twizy 45. The UK market was initially set to receive the higher-powered Twizy only. However, following the new guidelines, Renault is now contemplating selling the Twizy 45 alongside the Twizy from next year. Head of Electric Vehicle Programme at Renault UK, Andy Heiron said: “We’re not saying it will be available in the UK yet, but if we can make it happen, we will. “If it does come to the UK though, expect the Twizy 45 to cost between £400 to £500 less than the Twizy, going off price comparisons from Europe.” That means the Twizy 45 would cost around £6,200 if it were to go on sale in the UK. However young motorists at 16 years of age would face the significant cost of insurance. “Premiums could be as much as £4,000,” Heiron told MSN Cars, but given the restricted nature of the vehicle, this is expected to drop quickly. The Twizy 45 falls under the European AM category for mopeds, meaning drivers would still have to pass a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), driving theory and practical test. The test will not be as rigorous or as in depth as that for a proper car, however – a contentious point given young 16-year-old motorists will share roads with more powerful, safer and faster cars without as much training required for a full UK driving licence. However, the new initiative will mean younger drivers will have more experience of driving and road craft when making the transition to a conventional car."

Answered by Honest John

Faulty Twizy seat

"I bought a new Twizy on 18th May. On getting home found back seat faulty, it had been ripped from attaching rivet. Rang the garage (who I'm pretty sure new of the fault all along) and they said that they would pick it up and repair it. They picked it up on 30th May. To date, approx one month later they have not fixed it. They say they are waiting for parts from France. They have given me a replacement Twizy until mine has been fixed. What are my rights? Can I ask for my money back? Can I ask for compensation?"

If they can't fix yours ask them to transfer ownership of the replacement Twizy to you.

Answered by Honest John

More Questions

Inside of the Renault Twizy (2012 – 2021)

• Boot space is 31–180 litres

You have to treat the Twizy like a motorbike in some respects. It doesn't come with any doors (they are a £545 optional extra) and even with them there are no side windows, so you're always open to the elements. In wet weather, suitable clothing is essential. The gullwing doors open upwards which adds to the funky feel of the Twizy, plus it also makes getting out in tight spaces easy.

You can't 'lock' the Twizy either so it's best not to leave anything valuable on show. Although there is a lockable cubby on the dash top and a larger one behind the back seat. Inside it's best described as 'basic'. There's a steering wheel and a digital speedo with a trip computer but not much else. No heater or stereo, although a Parrot Bluetooth hands free system is available as an option and lets you stream music with speakers integrated into the roof.

Child seats that fit a Renault Twizy (2012 – 2021)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Renault Twizy (2012 – 2021)

As you'll have guessed it's designed for urban commuting, so rather than a petrol engine the Twizy has an electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery. This means no engine noise, no CO2 emissions, no annual road tax and no charge for going into the central London congestion charge zone. The system produces 17PS which doesn't sound much but with 57Nm of torque available from a standstill, the Twizy is actually nippy over the first 50 metres with similar performance to a 125cc scooter, so it's ideal for busy cities. There's enough get up and go once you're up to speed too.

It's also simple to drive. You turn the key, push the D button on the dash, release the handbrake and off you go. There's just one gear so you always have power available and the steering is nice and responsive so it's easy to nip round tight corners. You actually sit right on top of the battery - the single heaviest part of the car - which means a low centre of gravity and good stability. Even at its top speed of 53mph, which feels very fast in such a small vehicle, the Twizy is stable and reassuring.

The big problem can come from other road users. Some drivers don't see it as a bona fide car and will simply drive around you, even if you're at the speed limit. Others don't realise how fast it is and will simply pull out in front of you on main roads. Despite that it is still great fun to drive and every journey feels like an event. It really is unlike anything else and attracts huge amounts of attention thanks to its futuristic design.

Of course that's easy to say having driven it around Ibiza on a nice warm spring day. Whether it will still seem appealing on a wet and cold February morning in the UK is another matter. It certainly makes you hyper aware of other vehicles. Sitting in traffic with buses and trucks, you suddenly feel very vulnerable. That said, while it is open to the elements, it's not at all blustery on the move. In fact even at top speed there's only a gentle breeze.

Charging the battery is simple. There's a flap on the front of the car and inside a three metre cable with a standard three-pin plug on so you can charge it from a normal household socket. A full charge only takes three and half hours and costs around £1. And when at 100% the Twizy has an official range of around 62 miles, although in everyday driving you're looking more at 50 miles.

The one main concern for buyers will be safety and it's something Renault is keen to highlight. Like the electric motor, the main structure of the Twizy was developed by Renault Sport, with influence from F1 technology, so it's light and strong. There's a driver's airbag, seatbelts for both people and disc brakes on all four wheels.

Renault Twizy (2012 – 2021) Models and Specs

On sale until September 2022

On sale until April 2020

On sale until October 2015

On sale until January 2015

On sale until September 2013

On sale until February 2012