Renault is paving the way for the arrival of the budget-friendly Twingo city EV with the unveiling of the prototype at the Paris Motor Show.

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Debuting alongside the 4 E-Tech at this month’s show, it’s the brand’s latest electric reboot of a classic model from its history.

Developed by Renault’s new Ampere spin-off EV arm and on sale from 2026, the dinky little electric car will be priced at less than €20,000 (c.£17,000), fulfilling Renault’s pledge to put electric mobility within ever more people’s reach.

The brand says the fourth-generation Twingo “radiates the first Twingo generation’s spirit and rises to its day’s challenges, in this case with an electric urban vehicle designed for city driving without compromises”.

The brand promises “an all-electric car designed for city driving without compromises”. As with the original, the Twingo E-Tech electric prototype’s small footprint keep it agile in cities but it now comes as a practical five-door unlike the first two generations.

Design blends old with new, including the headlamps, directly inspired by the first generation and now inside floating LED rings. The rear design also draws on the original Twingo’s back with protruding taillights that are the same shape as the headlamps, while the black rim around the rear windscreen gives a modern touch.

The round handles on the front doors are also rebooted from the 1992 first-generation model – and now have a round rim that lights up – while the three air vents from the original model’s bonnet are carried over as design details. The new Twingo will also come with a fixed glass roof and “generously sized interior”.

Renault has previously said the “game changer” EV will offer high efficiency figures while its lifetime emissions will be around 75% lower than the “average European ICE car” sold in 2023.

The Twingo E-Tech electric prototype will be unveiled in public for the first time during the upcoming Paris Motor Show, which will take place from 14 to 20 October 2024.

The retro-inspired EV is one of seven Renault EVs due by 2031, also including the reborn Renault 5, the Renault 4, Megane E-Tech, Scenic E-Tech and two additional vehicles.