Should you buy one?

As a car for making light work of urban driving and holding its own on open roads, the Renault really can’t hold a candle to the likes of the Smart Fortwo Coupe, Volkswagen e-Up and its close cousins, the forthcoming SEAT Mii Electric and Skoda Citigo-e. All a compromised in one way or another, but the Twizy is too compromised for it be chosen ahead of them objectively.

However, unless you’re a chic urbanite who lives on the Cote d’Azur, it’s never going to be an objective choice and if you opted to drive one here in Britain simply because it’s different and fun, we would totally understand why. Few cars at any price can foster such a sense of fun in their driver. Okay, your passenger may be less gleeful, but then you’d be buying it for your benefit, not for the person sat legs akimbo behind you.

If we were being rational, we’d say to go for the cheaper Expression model, but as it’s not a rational purchase we’d recommend the spanglier Dynamique with its natty alloy wheels.

Options-wise you need to focus primarily on the doors – £545 well-spent. They won’t protect you completely from the elements, but they do make a tangible difference to Twizy life in the UK. Other than that, go bold with either a two-tone paint finish or one of the Renault-supplied wrap kits. The glazed plastic roof is also worth the extra at £195, particularly for making the rear passenger’s life less gloomy.

That really leaves your only decision about how to lease the battery pack – which we acknowledge is a clumsy way of paying for such a vital part of the car. At the time of writing the costs vary from £45pm for a 4,500 mileage cap on a three years or more contract, up to £67pm for a 9,000 mileage limit on a 12-month agreement. Think carefully about how long you’re likely to keep the car and how much you will drive it.

Now, go and have fun!

The best small electric cars

Further reading

>> How do we rate Renault’s electric supermini, the Zoe? Find out with our expert review

>> Looking for something oddball, but with fewer compromises? What about a used Toyota iQ?

>> And now for something completely different: check out scooter reviews on our sister site MCN