Renault Twingo: rear-wheel-drive city car spied

Still heavily camouflaged, the new Renault prototype is expected to be the third-generation Twingo but some suggest, somewhat hopefully, that the car could evolve into a third-gen Renault 5 – a cult hatchback produced from 1972 to 1996 (pictured bottom).

Seen with its headlights, fog lights, front grille and lower air intake exposed, the new four-seat city car is based on the same platform as the upcoming Smart ForTwo and ForFour – thanks to a partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler – and will be home to a rear-mounted engine transferring drive to the rear wheels.

Originally planed to be offered in both five- and three-door variants – previewed by the 3.628m-long all-electric Twin’Z concept and 235kW/380Nm V6-powered Twin’Run concept respectively – the latest rumours suggest the latter may be on hold.

Powerplants also remain unconfirmed by the French manufacturer, however, whatever the units selected, they are expected to be shared with the French-built Smarts. An electric version is also believed to have future potential.

Renault Australia corporate communications and sponsorship manager Emily Ambrosy told CarAdvice the local division is interested in the next-generation sub-light car for our market and will continue to evaluate new product offerings.

Ambrosy did stress though, that, “It has to be available at the right price and have the right specification for Australia."

Whether a modern Renault 5 joins the current crop of revived classics such as the Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Beetle, and Fiat 500 is yet to be known, but regardless, there is much excitement surrounding the new model set to launch in late 2014.

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