First Public Debut of Renault's Chinese-Fighting Twingo BEV

Renault’s entry-level urban battery-electric vehicle, the Twingo E-Tech prototype, makes its public debut at next week’s Paris auto show with plans to take on Chinese invaders with a sticker price below €20,000 ($21,961).

It will probably be undercut by a direct rival from China's Leapmotor, the T03 urban BEV priced from just €18,900 ($20,990) and being sold by a Stellantis joint venture through its dealer network.

However, Renault hopes its own well-regarded brand will have considerable marketing pull, particularly among France's ultra-patriotic car-buying consumers.

The Twingo E-Tech, first revealed last autumn, retains many of the design cues of the original city runabout launched in 1992.

Despite its diminutive dimensions, it boasts five doors and enhances the feel of interior space with a panoramic fixed glass roof.

Modern upgrades include the headlamps, which are now inside floating LED rings, and cheerful signature lights on Twingo’s emblematic updated tail.

The model, developed by Renault’s Ampere electric-vehicle division, is the base for the forthcoming fourth generation of Twingo due on the market in 2026.