Renault Twingo

Far better styled, and available in right-hand drive, the new Renault Twingo is a really decent stab at the city car market. The only catch is the price, which may not seem far enough off the bigger, better Clio.

• Comfort

  Little cars often bump about a bit due to a foreshortened chassis that gets caught out by transverse ridges like expansion joints and speed bumps. The Twingo is no exception, although the general level of refinement is acceptable.

  

• Performance

  Three different stages of tune to the tiny 1.2-litre engine give the Twingo a variety of personalities. The one we favour is the turbocharged 99bhp GT, which copes well enough with the long haul and is a blast in the bends.

  

• Cool

  The Twingo threatens to steal that carefree chic away from the Clio. The unpretentious French hatch is, after all, one of the true icons of modern motoring, especially when it's battered, dirty and driven to death.

  

• Quality

  In stark contrast to the remarkably solid-looking and grown up Clio, the Twingo's interior is a shameless assembly of cheap and flimsy plastic. It's solid enough, but doesn't feel like value for money compared to its only slightly pricier brother.

  

• Handling

  High hopes for this little hatch being huge fun have not quite been met, even in sporty GT guise. The car's slightly tall centre of gravity makes for a tendency to roll, and roll into understeer.

  

• Practicality

  The Twingo makes the best of its modest interior dimensions by having a sliding rear seat that can accommodate two adults easily when it's right back, or give you a much bigger boot by coming forward.

  

• Running costs

  Even the sportier GT gets close enough to 50mpg and insurance quotes should be rock bottom. It's still too new for us to know much about residual value, but it probably won't fair quite as well as the sturdier Clio.