Shoestring Superminis

By Leo Kimitri

Thanks to the rapidly increasing cost of insurance (and of course petrol, road tax, servicing etc.), car ownership levels among young people are plummeting. In a bid to soften the blow, Peugeot is extending its “Just Add Fuel” scheme which rolls all major motoring costs into one fixed monthly payment, so that it now covers drivers as young as 21. While this still leaves under 21s out in the cold, at least those residing in the hinterland between 21 and 25 now have another option when they come to buy a car. But just how tempting is Peugeot’s three year long package?

Well, a 21 year old can expect to pay £215 per month for a 107 Active, which includes comprehensive insurance, road tax (which Peugeot neglects to mention is free on this model anyway), servicing and roadside assistance. Overall, three factors affect the total cost – the car chosen, the owner’s postcode and the age of the youngest named driver. This all means that if you live in a postcode with high car crime for instance you’ll no doubt have to shell out much more than that, but whatever the price you pay, you’ll know exactly how much your car will cost to run every month for three years.

However, as with all finance deals, Peugeot’s “Just Add Fuel” scheme is not that straightforward – it really should have been called “Just Add Fuel and Deposit”. That’s because a 21 year old paying £215 per month would need to stump up the princely sum of £1,633 for a deposit too. And if you have to find £1,633 to pay upfront why not just spend that on a whole car? Sure you won’t have the convenience of a nice round-numbered bill every month and you won’t get a new car, but you’ll be spending much, much less in the first place.

So what can you get for £1,633? How about a 2004 Daihatsu Charade? No it’s not exciting, but it’s no less interesting than the Peugeot 107. Plus it has lots of space, will return nearly 60mpg and cost just £30 per year in road tax. You can even get several hundred pounds change from the £1633 budget if you shop around. Or, if you don’t like the Charade’s gawky looks, there are dozens of cheap, sturdy Ford Fiestas and Renault Clios available for the same price that should prove reliable and inexpensive to run.

Therefore, unless you truly value convenience above cost, Peugeot’s “Just Add Fuel” is of limited value. Despite the manufacturer’s bold claims that their scheme will tackle the drop in young driver car ownership, lumping all motoring costs into one big bill instead of several smaller ones does not suddenly make motoring affordable.

CLICK HERE to read the Verdict on the Peugeot 107

CLICK HERE to learn more about Just Add Fuel

2012 Renault Twizy ROAD TEST

When presented with the veritable feast of models to drive and this years SMMT Test Day it would be easy to assume that the most in demand would be the stonkingly fast exotic models but strangely it was Renault’s curious little Twizy.

For those few readers that don’t know what the Twizy is all about it is Renault’s clever solution to urban transportation. It is essentially a two seater electric vehicle – you make your mind up whether you could call it a car – where passengers sit in tandem.

It looks like it’s come straight from the next century with its pod-like shape and tiny wheels that appear to be mounted on stalks.

At its core is a rear mounted 17hp electric motor mated to a 6.1kWh lithium-ion battery located underneath the front seat. Its tiny dimensions result in an impressive 474kg kerb weight. As with all electrified vehicles there are always going to be limitations when it comes to range, the Twizy has a maximum range of 60 miles, depending on your driving style, which research suggests is easily enough for the majority of journeys urbanites undertake.

Charging the Twizy is easier than you might think, it comes with a 3m cable that can be plugged into a conventional household 3 pin socket and takes just 3.5 hours to fully charge, this will cost consumers just £1 (dependant on their electric tariff).

The model we drove did without the optional scissor doors which only added to the experience. Climbing aboard is easy for the driver but not so much for the passenger who is forced to straddle the driver’s seat but once there it’s perfectly ok.

So what’s it like to drive? Well that’s easy – an absolute hoot!

The helpful people at Renault gave us a brief demonstration of how to get the Twizy going which involves turning the ignition key until it bleeps, hit the dash mounted D button then reach down under the steering wheel and release the horizontal handbrake. What’s most strange is the lack of noise bar a gentle whir. Gently press the gas pedal and you eerily begin to move off and thanks to an instant 57Nm of torque quick getaways are easy.

Once moving the Twizy feels much quicker than it is due to your exposure to the elements. Despite this its MacPherson strut arrangement at all 4 corners means that the little thing feels incredibly stable but also very bouncy at the same time. Driving around the teeny Milbrook city course gave us the opportunity to really chuck it around. As you would expect the 145 width tyres have to work hard to maintain grip but there is plenty of fun to be had especially when grip runs out. Then the Twizy is more than happy to slide around but it never feels unsafe. 

A starting price £6,690 is not to be sniffed at; it undercuts cars such as the Smart FourTwo by a large margin. There is however an additional battery rental charge to be added on which depends on the mileage the owner expects to cover. The least you will pay is £48 per month rising to a still very reasonable £67 per month. When you factor in that you will never need to stop at a filling station to pay over £1.30 a litre for fuel the Twizy makes a lot of sense.

Verdict

We fell in love with the Twizy and we think you will too. It’s a great way to get about if you mostly travel around busy city streets and if you don’t it is the perfect 2nd car. It’s incredibly easy and fun to drive, has a perfectly usable range and costs peanuts to buy and run. Whether us Brits will be put off by the lack of weather protection remains to be seen but we think you are going to start seeing a lot of Twizys zipping around over the new few years.

Words by Rob McSorley

Photos by Mathew Brooks

Price as tested: £6,960 Engine: 13 kW DIN 17hp Electric asynchronous - 0-28mph: 6.1 secs - Maximum Speed: 50mph - Economy: 60 mile range - Emissions: 0g/km (Band A) -VED (12 months): £0 Dimensions: Length 2338mm - Width: 1381mm - Height: 1454mm - Wheelbase: 1686mm
*data from Renault UK

2013 Renault Clio TEASED

Ahead of its reveal at the 2012 Paris motorshow in September Renault have released a teaser image of the eagerly anticipated Clio that will go on sale in 2013. The image gives us a glimpse of the rear corner of the car with its kinked waistline, slim rear light cluster and strongly suggests hidden rear door handles like Alfa Romeo Guiletta. The Clio is a very important car for Renault as its the first all-new model to feature their new design language but unusually will only be offered as a 5 door. Based on the same platform as the Nissan Micra its likely to grow in size slightly to free up space inside and promises big gains in refinement as well as ride comfort and on-road thrills. Engines won't differ much from today's models so expect a wide range of petrol and diesel units with the scorching Renaultsport Clio expected in 2014.

2012 Renault Scenic FACELIFT

Renault's highly successful Scenic and Grand Scenic are now nearing their mid-life refresh and are set to gain Renault's new corporate identity. This image could be an accurate representation of how the finish car could look. Its front end styling follows similae themes set by the recently revealed Twingo with a pronounced Renault badge and sporty lower air intakes. Revised cabin materials and rear end styling are also on the cards

2012 Renault Twingo REVEALED

Yesterday Renault released first pictures of the facelifted Twingo which will go on sale in early 2012. Renault have completely restyled the front end of the Twingo which is the first model to feature the companies new more rounded design language characterised by large Renault badge and prominent foglights just below. Towards the rear of the car the rear lights have been reshaped and now feature additional units that sit on the rear tailgate. 

2012 Renault Megane RS Trophy

  

Jaybee Motors, near Banbury, oxon (Renault & MG dealer)

JayBee Motors 01295 227100 Oxford Road, Bodicote, Oxfordshire OX15 4 http://m.google.co.uk/u/m/QBnYmJ