-
Renault Twingo RS tested
June 19, 2009
Does the Renault Twingo RS have what it takes to play with the big boys or is it a bench warmer?
‘The Renault Twingo is a car for city girls,’ said Calvin Fisher in the March issue of Topcar. Well guess what? That city girl has been spending time at the gym, and we’re talking Sports Science Institute type of training here. The result is the Twingo RS. And if you want a reference point, forget Carrie Bradshaw and her Gucci-clutching character from Sex and the City, we’re talking Anna Kournikova rampaging on court in her sneakers.
Gone are those those soft, demure curves. In their place you have wider fenders, new bumpers with a nose job to fit fog lights, deeper sills and a signature hot hatch spoiler. Those heels? Replaced by more fitting 16 inch alloys on sticky 195/45 rubber. The ride height is 10mm lower than standard, the track 60mm wider, with recalibrating power steering, uprated dampers and thicker anti-roll bars. The Renault Sport Technologies (RST) team worked their magic, and you can feel it instantly. As luck would have it, or not, while courting the Twingo RS, I was struck by a urinary tract infection, and when your bladder hurts that much you don’t want to be driving a car with sports suspension. Stiff suspension it certainly has.
Happily its bite matches the bark. The fettled 1.6 DOHC engine claims 98kW at 6750rpm and 160Nm at 4400, largely due to revised cams, a new throttle valve unit and a higher, 11:1 compression ratio. And that’s a proper bark, thanks to a four-into-one exhaust that encourages one to play with the loud pedal a little more than is necessary. A close-ratio JR5 five-speed manual with its quick and precise action also helps you get the most from that pert engine.
You’d expect some trick gear inside too, and Renault delivers sports seats adorned with the RS logo, orange seatbelts, a thick leather-trimmed steering wheel, aluminium pedals and a Renault Sport rev counter with a shift light where you’d expect the instrument binnacle to be. But true to Twingo, with two individual rear seats that can be independently adjusted you are left with two choices: either boot space or rear legroom, not both. Look closer and you’ll see the ‘girl’s car’ genes have not been radically modified – for one, the mirror behind the sun visor is on the driver’s side, not the passenger side. Diagnostic? Perhaps. On the plus side, Renault is doing its bit to dampen road rage occurrences by cleverly placing the hooter on the indicator stalk. I can’t imagine slamming the hooter in anger with your index finger.
The Twingo RS has no real rivals in the sub-R200 000 warm hatch category, and that may add to the appeal. It’s a great performer, lots of fun, handles well and basically does what it says on the tin. A plus is that every RS buyer is offered a free advanced driving course at the newly established Renault Driver Academy in addition to the three-year/45 000km service plan. But is it worth R195 000? You could pick up a second-hand Mk5 Golf GTI for less, but hey, that’s just my opinion.
ROAD TEST: RENAULT TWINGO RSHOW MUCHR195 000 ON SALENow ENGINE1598cc 16v 4-cyl, 98kW @ 6750rpm, 160Nm @ 4400rpm
TRANSMISSIONFive-speed manual, front-wheel drive WEIGHT/MADE OF1049kg/steel HOW BIG (LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT)3607/1688/1460mm ACCELERATION4.3sec 0-60kph, 6.41sec 0-80kph 9.21sec 0-100kph, 12.80sec 0-120kph
QUARTER MILE TIME/TERMINAL SPEED17.01/136.2kph OVERTAKING7.90sec 60-100kph, 8.61sec 80-120kph BRAKING 100-0KPH TIME/DISTANCE2.82sec/40m ODOMETER2143km TEST TEMP14ºC Popular Posts
-
Audi A3 1.8 TFSI quattro vs BMW 125i
June 19, 2009
-
SA's Best Driving Roads: Part One
June 19, 2009
-
SA's Best Driving Roads: Part Two
June 19, 2009
-
Wheels24
-
Seat reveals 246kW race-bred LeonThe development of the Leon Cup Racer was focused entirely on the pursuit of quick lap times and track performance. Watch the making of the new model!
-
Old cars to be taxed off the roadThe cost of an annual vehicle licence in Britain could force thousands of cars registered since March 2006 on to scrapheaps. See how SA compares.
-
http://topcar.co.za/wp-content/themes/topcar