Renault Twizy (2012-2021) interior, dashboard & comfort

It’s easy for car drivers to make derisory comments about the Twizy’s relative lack of creature comforts and limited weather protection, but anyone upgrading from a scooter may think they’re driving in the lap of luxury.

Renault Twizy dashboard

There’s nothing complicated about the Twizy's controls; it's as straightforward to drive as a ‘twist-and-go’ scooter. There’s a steering wheel instead of handlebars, of course, but the controls and instrumentation are pretty rudimentary. You have to put an ‘ignition’ key into the steering column as per a typical car, and there are car-style stalks to operate lights, indicators and wipers.

The automatic gearbox has a simple Drive, Neutral and Reverse switch to the left of the steering wheel, and the only other complication is the hazard-warning light switch next to it. A small binnacle behind the steering wheel houses a simple electronic display which offers information on speed, battery charge level and potential range.

Equipment, options and accessories

There are two Renault Twizy trim levels available, called Expression and Dynamique, but whether you’ll consider the extra £700 money well spent on the latter depends on how style-conscious you are. The essential spec and equipment are pretty much identical between the two models, but the Dynamique gets a choice of 14 colour collections and alloy wheels – plus a set of rubber mats.

The standard Expression has steel wheels with plastic trims, but all get the same instrumentation, heated windscreen with quick demist and lockable storage beneath the seat. Extras available on both include a clear roof panel with a UV filter for £200 and scissor-type doors for £545. Renault Twizy accessories also include a motorcycle-style anti-lift alarm for £320 and a Parrot Bluetooth hands-free kit for £290.

Infotainment, apps & sat nav

There’s no radio as standard on a Twizy, but there are two empty speaker mouldings built into the roof. Specifying the Parrot hands-free installation gets you speakers designed primarily for phone use, but which do also allow you to stream music from a Bluetooth device. The Twizy’s open-sided format means you’ll be sharing your music choices with passers-by and other drivers in your traffic jam – but the Twizy was never designed for shrinking violets.