Renault's Twingo will be reborn as a cute electric city runaround and is one of the standout cars you should be looking forward to seeing this year.
French bosses initially spoke of prices starting under £17,000. Inflation may see that rise, but it will certainly be under £20,000.
A production version of the new Renault Twingo E-Tech is expected to be unveiled soon ahead of UK sales from 2026.
The new EV aims to emulate the spirit of the original Twingo launched in 1993 as an affordable runaround combining quirky design and practicality.
Three generations were produced before it was discontinued in the UK in 2019. The fourth generation model is being relaunched as a fully electric car oozing retro charm with a modern twist.
Minimalist on styling but maximising practicality, it has a friendly face with illuminated headlamp surrounds which – with its bright green paintwork – give it the countenance of a frog.
is being developed and produced by Renault's spin-off electric brand Ampere and will be built in Europe.
It was planned as a collaboration with Volkswagen, but when that deal fell through Renault took on a Chinese partner to fast-track its battery and electric motor technology.
Ginny Buckley of electrifying.com, who inspected it with me, said: 'It's bloomin' cute. I don't know whether to drive it or hug it.'
Alpine A390
If you want to stand out from the crowd when driving to the ski slopes, how about this from niche French sports car maker Alpine?
I inspected the new prototype all-wheel drive five-seater Alpine A390 electric crossover with three powerful electric motors which bosses say will give it best-in-class driving dynamics and the agility of a lightweight car.
Roughly the size of a Porsche Macan and built at the French Channel port of Dieppe, it is pitched against rivals such as the BMW iX2 and Tesla Model Y.
The production model due to be shown this year has already been spotted in disguise on test on public roads before arriving in showrooms priced from around £70,000.
The company, a subsidiary of Renault, described it as 'a true sports car'. Alpine CEO Philippe Krief told me it has 'a racing soul' and will give drivers 'an exhilarating experience'.
BMW SUVs inspired by the Neue Klasse X
In Spring. I crawled around what BMW bosses called their Neue Klasse X – or New Class off-roader.
Soon you will see production versions – starting with the compact family iX3 crossover – before they arrive in showrooms later in the year.
It offers a minimalist design and a return to a smaller, more classical trademark BMW kidney grille.
The company says this will be the family face for all future BMW off-roaders.
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