Wheels and deals

While rivals from the Volkswagen Group, Hyundai, Toyota and PSA Peugeot Citroen have all chosen to offer an entry-level model, often for less than £8,000, Renault is chasing sales at the premium end of the market.

The Fiat 500 currently dominates the high-cost city car scene, but Renault hopes to challenge it with its new rear-engined, rear-wheel drive effort that shares its platform with the new Smart.

Two petrol engines will be available, including a non-turbocharged 1.0-litre and a turbo-boosted 0.9-litre that will only be available on the range-topping, £11,695 Dynamique Energy TCe 90. The turbocharged engine has stop-start technology as standard, while it only features on the entry-level engine on the £10,995 Dynamique SCe 70.

As a result, only the stop-start enabled models dip below the 100g/km threshold for free road tax, with the lower grades attracting a £20 per year charge under the current system.

Option packs will be made available for as little as £100 to add personalisation choices for customers.

For buyers who really want to splash out, there is an £850 Sport Pack solely for the Dynamique Energy TCe 90, which adds 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, part-leather red and black upholstery, side decals, aluminium pedals, the red interior touch pack — which adds further colour to the steering wheel, centre console and airvents — and the exterior touch pack, which adds colour to the front grille insert, door mirrors and side door protectors.

The Twingo’s insurance groupings are higher than those of some rivals, starting at group two and three for the SCe-powered cars and rising to group 8 for the TCe model.

Customer deliveries are expected to start late in September.

Seat has announced a great-value new special edition trim level across most of its UK range.

I-Tech will add special alloy wheels and equipment extras to the Mii, Ibiza, Toledo, Altea, Altea XL and the Alhambra, even including special edition floor mats, badges and key covers on some models.

Customer savings versus adding the extra equipment separately reach as high as £480.

Design highlights common across all I-Tech models will include dark alloy wheels, which look especially striking against the brighter colours in Seat’s portfolio.

The most popular version is likely to be the Ibiza I-Tech, which is based on the SE trim level but adds dark 16-inch alloy wheels, I-Tech badges, a dark blue cloth and ‘simil’ leather upholstery interior, plus I-Tech floor mats, key cover and door sill plates.

The trim grade will be available across the three-door, five-door and estate body styles.

Depending on individual model ranges, I-Tech replaces Toca and Copa special editions that have proved extremely popular with British buyers.

On the no-frills Toledo the new edition goes straight in as a flagship model, adding similar extras as in the Ibiza.

Volkswagen has announced prices and specifications for its revised Touareg, ahead of the SUV hitting the showrooms in November.

Priced from £43,000, two versions of VW’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine will be offered, while the inclusion of an eight-speed auto gearbox has resulted in the entry level 204 horsepower variant emitting just 173g/km CO2 — 11g/km less than before.

On the outside, the new Touareg features revised bumpers and grilles, new alloy wheel designs, new colours and bi-xenon headlights as standard. Inside, the front seats now come with standard lumbar support, and there are two new optional wood trims. An automatic post-collision braking system also becomes standard across the range.

The range starts with the SE, which features a comprehensive specification including 19-inch alloy wheels, satellite navigation with eight-inch touchscreen, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth, two zone climate control, leather upholstery’, bi-xenon headlights, front fog lights, parking sensors and chrome roof rails.

The Escape model adds higher off-road suspension, a 100-litre fuel tank and underbody protection. The flagship R-Line specification includes a bodykit, 20-inch alloy wheels; lowered sports suspension; LED daytime running lights and a panoramic glass sunroof, a heated steering wheel, electrically operated tailgate and keyless entry and start.