RENAULT Twingo 1998 Photos, engines & full specs

The Twingo was unveiled by Renault at the 1998 Paris Motor Show and became the smallest vehicle in the automaker's lineup.

Designed for crowded cities and small parking lots, the Twingo offered a vast interior and fuel-efficient engines that made it a favorite for urban drivers, especially for those who had to do the school runs. In addition, it tried to fit the car with a wide variety of options that transformed it into one of the best in-city vehicles. And it could do well on highways, too.

With its unibody design the front fascia was penned so that the hood was continued by the wide windshield. The Twingo was quite an appearance on the market. Its headlights resembled a pair of wandering eyes, and the smiling grille installed in the lower bumper confirmed that Renault didn't want to threaten anyone. The car was available exclusively with two wide doors and a tailgate. Despite its size, the mini-MPV featured very wide windows. On top of that, the automaker offered a canvas top as an option.

The interior was very roomy for the car's size. In addition, the rear bench could slide back and forth, thus creating even more legroom for rear-seated passengers. At the front, the low-mounted seats and the almost flat dashboard featured a tiny instrument cluster fronting the driver. The speedometer, on the other hand, was mounted on top of the dash panel in the middle. Even though the base trim level featured cranked windows and no AC, the top trim level was provided with more features, including the panoramic removable roof.

Under the hood, Renault installed an older generation of 1.2-liter engines, which were upgraded later on with newer versions. Power went to the front wheels via a five-speed manual only.