Since 1993, the Renault Twingo is one of the cars most popular in France. Impossible to do a few kilometers without crossing one. However, these models will become increasingly rare. Indeed, Luca De Meo, Managing Director of Renault, announced Tuesday, January 26 to our colleagues from Challenges.fr than the Twingo third generation will be the last model manufactured by the French brand.
Binding European standards
“Renault will abandon the A segment (small entry-level cars) regrets Luca De Meo. I consider it a shame to abandon this type of vehicle, but small combustion-powered cars will disappear because of the rules of the game. ” In question, the hardening of European standards on this kind of model: “It becomes very difficult to make profitable a gasoline model 3.60 meters long”, details the general manager.
European CO2 standards make the marketing of these small city cars much more complicated. In September 2020, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, had announced that by 2030, the EU planned to reduce its CO2 emissions by 55%, while the target had been 40% until then. With such a difference, manufacturers had to invest massively to meet the expectations of the European body.
End of collaboration with Daimler
Problem, two years ago, the Daimler brand, which pooled the production of its Smart, with Renault’s Twingo, decided to end the collaboration. “We are not able to make such a model on our own”, said the leader of Renault.
To replace the emblematic model of the French firm, it is an equally popular model, the R5, which will take over, in an electric version this time. Also in the Renault group, Dacia must also take over from the Twingo, with its urban SUV, the Spring, designed in China.
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