Quick Review Verdict: The answer to the question is yes, but it comes with some sacrifices that some may not be willing to make. The Renault Twizy is a fun little car for the Philippines that we enjoyed driving during our review. However, its novelty may wear off rather quickly due to its lack of road presence, lacking top speed, questionable interior space, and hefty price tag. 

It’s no secret that fuel prices around the world have been skyrocketing. We’ve felt the impact even locally as the prices of goods and services increase by the minute. Despite this, the globe continues to revolve and people still do have to make the occasional commute to participate in society. That’s why others have looked into alternative modes of private transport such as electric vehicles to get across the city in an economical manner. One such vehicle is the Renault Twizy, a cute, two-seat electric microcar being sold in the Philippines. Is the Renault Twizy the answer to your gas woes in the country or should you keep looking?

Exterior

The Twizy is a neck-breaker, to say the least. We had people intentionally slowing down their cars and motorbikes to catch a glimpse of how fast the tiny EV could go on an open road. When we say that it’s minuscule, we really mean it: its total length is at a hair above 92 inches while the vehicle’s underbelly is just 4.72 inches off the ground.

Up at the front is a plastic chin in a matte finish. There isn’t much going on here except for the ZE hatch, which contains the fluids and battery charger plug when opened. The round orange turn signals grace each corner of the matte black centerpiece, indicating which way this little one wants to turn. The second layer is a piano black rendition showing off the iconic Renault badge – reminding you of the Twizy’s French origins. Halogen headlamps come standard with the vehicle, coming in round shapes to give the car some cutesy appeal. The LED components in the front fascia are additions done by Renault Twizy Philippines, who also had graciously lent us the unit we are driving here.

From the side, it looks sort of like an aquarium on wheels with windows that take up almost the entirety of the door panels. Bear in mind that this doesn’t originally come with any windows, so the acrylic items in substitution are aftermarket accessories. The bottom location is also translucent, so maybe skip on the bright yellow Crocs on a Twizy day. If you think about it, the McLaren Senna doors also share this characteristic. Is this a hypercar in hiding? This specific variant of the Twizy also came with white 13-inch wheel covers instead of the pricier alloys. Some in our team found that the design works with the car’s overall aesthetic, while some were appalled by it.

The rear is extremely unique and we could definitely make a lot of pop culture references here. From Eve in Wall-E, a Minion in Despicable Me, even a Stormtrooper from Star Wars; it’s all up to your interpretation. We find the futuristic, curvy shape to be extremely appealing. This is what sets it apart from other electric vehicles in this segment. The singular pill-shaped taillight also lends to the vehicle’s flair, with the reverse light smack dab at the middle. An identical matte plastic piece is also situated at the car’s rear, housing the plate and signal lights.

A carbon fiber-like finish can be found on the roof – adding to the car’s vibrant personality.

Interior

It’s impossible not to comment on how this car’s doors open. It’s a time capsule back to the 90s when scissor doors were the rage in every modding community. Supercars did it first, so that’s what the car community had decided was cool at the time. Next thing you know, your neighbor’s clapped-out Honda Civic already had this courtesy of the Fast and the Furious movies. Seeing technology like this in the present age doesn’t make it any less novel or interesting though.

On the inside, we find a little bit more of the same carbon finish that the roof was done with. Everything else is a dark simple color, but it doesn’t get too gloomy in natural lighting situations due to previously-mentioned windows. Feeding the driver information is an oval-shaped display containing speed, battery power metrics, an estimate of mileage, and the traditional odometer. To the left are buttons for hazard lights (in case of emergencies) and the “transmission” buttons for which gear you’d like to select. Everything else is pretty standard, save for a keyhole on the right side to open a cubby for trinkets you’d like to keep in the car. Another interesting fact here is that the horn isn’t activated by pressing on the wheel. Don’t slam into it or you might accidentally trigger the Twizy’s only airbag. For a good honk, press on the left signal stalk. One more thing: before you ask, there are no cupholders.

In the interest of space, the seat is modestly padded with no options to recline. It would be perfectly understandable to assume that this is a race car based on the bucket-like seat design. It definitely matches the modular vibe this entire car carries, while the rear seat (this is a 2-seater) has pads built into the car’s chassis.

A tunnel spans through the center of the vehicle, so the rear passenger’s legs straddle around the driver like a horseback riding session. The doors are shaped intelligently to not turn the passenger into an amputee when the doors are closed. Headroom is fine as well.

Behind the passenger is another tiny compartment that can be opened with the Twizy key. To give you a rough estimate of its size, we’ll let you know that it was designed to fit a briefcase.

Comfort and Driving Dynamics

Judging by the seat design we previously showed and you’d think that the ride was absolutely backbreaking. Well, the Independent McPherson Coil Springs take some of the brunt from city potholes and road imperfections. However, the ride is undoubtedly still on the harsh side. The rear passenger doesn’t have much room to move his legs outside of the straddling position, so frequent breaks may be necessary. We’re not sure if an out-of-town trip in the Twizy is something you’d consider.

Another factor that played a monumental role is the lack of air conditioning. In a country like the Philippines, this could be a dealbreaker for a large portion of the population. After all, no one wants to start the day dripping in sweat. The folks at Renault Twizy Philippines were kind enough to hook the car up with fans, which alleviated some of our worries. In motion, the breeze felt fresh and was sufficient to keep us comfortable. In city traffic, however, it was nothing short of a sauna.

Not a lot of people will be buying the Twizy for the way it drives, but we’ll try to discuss it here anyway. This model is built to dash at a top speed of 80 km/h using its 17 horsepower electric motor. It will take some time to get there even with your foot stamped to the floor though. Up to 60 km/h acceleration is safe and acceptable, but above that things slow down a little bit.

The brake pedal feel is stiff. It takes some force to push down the pedal, partly due to its regenerative braking system. Steering at low speeds feels like a go-kart due to the lack of power assistance. Drivers who have never driven older cars or karts might be taken aback, but this is run of the mill for people who do not meet those conditions. When already in motion, the steering is fine and will easily maneuver the Twizy’s light chassis through the smallest crevices.

With a full charge of its 6.1 kWh battery, the EV will achieve a range of around 90 km. It doesn’t need any sort of specialized charger since it has a plug at the front of the vehicle which goes into any domestic socket. This convenience places it above modern Teslas and other EVs which require specialized gear to juice up. Based on our calculations and current gas prices, each full charge will cost you about PHP 58.85. That’s an astounding 0.66 pesos per kilometer if we set the range at 90 km, which is just a fifth of the cost of a comparable economy hatchback.

Wrap-up and conclusion

What we’ve come to realize about the Renault Twizy in our review time is that owning one in the Philippines is an experience. It’s not something most of us would want to use on a daily basis considering the climate and absolute warzone our roads turn into at rush hour. Safety could be a big issue here.

It has some semblance of practicality like a cabin, the basic parts of a car, a reasonable mileage, quick charging, an airbag, among other things. But this isn’t why you get one.

Unless you’re buying this as a toy, you don’t pick a lifestyle then drag the Twizy along; it determines how you live and your habits. At the same time though, having this will guarantee that your days are never boring. Whether it’s meeting new people over the attention this grabs, squeezing in groceries like a clown car, cursing the Philippine heat, or bringing this out of town, every day with the Twizy reminds you that life should be lived to the fullest every waking moment. Or, it’s to make a statement that you want to save the environment.

Renault Twizy Review Philippines Price

The car is not cheap at Php 700,000. At this price you could get some econoboxes with conventional internal-combustion engines that are surely more practical, can seat more people, and have air conditioning. If you’re dead set on getting a vehicle that runs on battery power, options from RFM are available as well for cheaper. Some of these even come with A/C. The question remains though, are they THIS quirky and fun? Do they possess the European design flair of the Twizy?

So to answer the question we asked at the beginning: “Can You Use This EV In The Philippines?” The answer is: Yes it is, but that will depend on what you’re looking for out of this single life we have on earth. If you’re looking for maximum enjoyment with no compromises, then this is the way to go.

Once again, we’d like to give many thanks to the people at Renault Twizy Philippines for the accommodation. Based on our inquiries they’ve already sold out all their current stocks, but a new batch of shipments could arrive very soon.