Renault working on midlife facelift for the Twingo

The rear-engined Renault Twingo is nearing the middle of its life cycle. Accordingly, the French automaker has just begun road testing for a mid-life facelift, which should debut around the end of the year. 

Renault is rumoured to discontinue the 0.9 Tce next year, replacing it with a slightly larger 1.0 TCe. This will be used by the Clio and the Captur for sure, but might also be fitted to the top version of the Twingo.

The number that keeps popping up is 95bhp instead of the current 90bhp. But the new cylinder lining and turbocharger tech should also make the car more efficient. It's the stuff developed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance in partnership with Daimler and can already be found in the A-Class.

The cosmetic changes can be seen on the front bumper. The round LED daytime running light elements are most likely to be replaced by something at the bottom of the headlight unit.

Renault's race track-shaped camouflage also covers the rear bumper and the left rear fender, where the air scoops are featured. However, only owners of the current model will be able to tell what they have done with the taillights and number plate surround. One thing is sure: this isn't the Twingo GT, which ought to have two mufflers in the middle of the car. Inside, the Twingo should have a new steering wheel design and refreshed infotainment system. However, the constraints of the small car market is likely to hamper Renault from improving this five-door too much.