Demand from business for small, low cost cars that work as a staff recruitment and retention tool has rocketed. The Mini is a prime example, with Foxtons using the cars not only as a staff retention tool, but also as a way of advertising the brand.
However, there are still precious few cars that meet the ‘ultra-cheap to run but cool to drive’ criteria. The newest entrant meeting these rules is Renault’s Twingo and particularly in GT form.
Powered by a 100PS 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, the Twingo GT has a P11D value of less than £10,000. For the moment it sits in the lowest 15% benefit-in-kind tax band with a CO2 output of 140g/km.
And though the Twingo is efficient on CO2 and fuel (47.8mpg), it is also nippy with a 0-62mph time of 9.8 seconds.
To drive it feels quicker than the official figures, and it also feels powerful enough to cope with some motorway work. Despite having a five-speed manual gearbox – which means motorway cruising’s done at high revs – engine noise isn’t too intrusive. In fact, if there is a criticism of the car’s noise levels, it’s that there’s zero sporty pretence. The Twingo sounds like any other small petrol engine.
Ride comfort is impressive, too, with only more bobbly surfaces causing…
