And Twingo Is Its Name
And Twingo Is Its Name
When it comes to automotive brands one of the larger makes in the world Renault is absent from our market. This hasn’t always been the case as the French automaker who is in alliance with Japanese automaker Renault was once a notable player in the US particularly back in the day when the company owned the American Motors Company. That company which owned Jeep was eventually purchased by Chrysler in the late 1980s the same time when Renault exited the American market.
Renault’s departure came as the automaker found it difficult to compete against cheaply priced Asian imports as well as an entrenched American auto industry. Its smallest cars of the day including the LeCar never caught everything from Toyota Honda and Nissan at the time beat it in price as well as quality.
Renault isn’t planning to reenter the North American market anytime soon though its partnership with Nissan could pave the way for that to happen. Rumors that RenaultNissan would purchase Chrysler in a bid to control Jeep have circulated for the past few months but there is no evidence that the two companies will buy the troubled American automaker.
In France and elsewhere across Europe the Renault name is a competitive player offering a number of fuel efficient and smartly priced cars for consumers. One popular model is the Twingo which was launched in June 2007. Twingo is available in 18 westEuropean countries and its sales continue to grow in Europe. With a total of 108000 cars sold since January 2008 Twingo’s share of the westEuropean market is almost 10 which is double the same figure for 2006. Sales have effectively increased by 55 in the course of the year’s first 10 months while the segment itself has grown by 17. Twingo equally stands out as the uncontested leader of its segment in France with a share of 30.
The Twingo was first rolled out in 1992 and kept virtually the same for many years before the second generation model was introduced in 2007. In the interim the car went through three interim facelifts before its complete overhaul fifteen years after introduction.
Concerning its sport model Renault says Twingo Renault Sport is a genuine hot hatch with looks to match and was designed to deliver both enjoyable roadholding and genuine sports performance. Its efficient balanced chassis has been mated to a fiery but flexible 133hp engine to form a package that is sure to appeal to all those who seek sporting sensations and driving pleasure during everyday motoring.
Twingo sounds like just the type of car lots of young American drivers would love to get a hold of but they’re out of luck. With no plans to sell Renaults stateside Twingo will go anywhere except in the US and Canada.
About the writer: Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in Cary North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy’s Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including fog lights and neon wires.
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