Verdict
The Renault Twizy is a quadricycle rather than a car, although its maker prefers to see it as an alternative to a motorbike. With no real rivals, it's the first truly affordable pure-electric 'car', and while it's severely compromised in terms of practicality, it's great fun.

Expert rating: 3.7

Pros
• Cheap to buy
• Cheap to run
• Great fun

Cons
• Limited luggage space
• 60-mile range
• Very basic

1. Exterior: 5/5
The Renault Twizy looks like nothing else, with its narrow body, single pantograph wiper, stick-out wheels and (optional) lift-up doors,. It makes the smart fortwo look positively normal.

2. Interior: 4/5
The Twizy's interior is a break from the norm too. You can't really call it a cabin, with its two seats in tandem and lack of doors in standard form. The Twizy is best viewed as a single-seater, although there's space for two if they're not both six-footers; getting in and out of the back seat is awkward, but once in, it's comfy enough. The dash is simple and clear, with a central digital display, push-button gear selection and lockable cubby box plus an umbrella-style handbrake under the dashboard.

3. Practicality: 3/5
With little in the way of luggage carrying capacity and pretty much no weather protection unless you invest in the optional doors (for £545), it would be easy to write off the Twizy. But its compact dimensions mean parking is easy, while negotiating traffic is easy. The Twizy is 36cm shorter than a Smart and 32cm narrower, while it can turn in just 3.4 metres - the class-leading Toyota IQ is rated at 3.9 metres. Meanwhile, the interior is almost hose-down in its simplicity and while the limited range of 60 miles (more like 40 in the real world) is a limiting factor, for some it'll be more than adequate. A full recharge takes 3.5 hours, but the battery pack can be topped up at any time, by plugging the nose-mounted cable into a domestic three-pin socket.

4. Ride and handling: 3/5
The Twizy's wheelbase is short and the track is narrow; so Renault has done well to keep the car feeling stable. The ride is firm but the handling isn't especially sharp to compensate. The steering is numb but well weighted, while the brakes lack feel, as a result of the regenerative braking that puts some charge back in the battery pack. However, when you lift off the throttle it doesn't feel as though the brakes have been applied - a criticism that can be levelled at some of the other electric cars on the market.

5. Performance: 4/5
There's reasonably vivid acceleration up to 30mph or so, then things tail off a bit, with inclines blunting performance further. Top speed is limited to 50mph, although Europeans can also buy a 30mph version aimed at young drivers, which may come here in 2013. The Twizy sits happily at 50mph on the flat, but the range is compromised as a result. Using the Twizy is incredibly simple though; just turn the key, press 'D' on the dash and accelerate or brake like any other automatic car. Intriguingly, the Twizy isn't as quiet as you might think, as from 10mph there's a constant jet engine-style whine.

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6. Running costs: 5/5
Depreciation is an issue with most electric cars, but you can buy a Twizy from under £7,000, so even if it loses most of its value over the next two or three years, the annual running costs are still reasonably low. However, you do have to lease the batteries also, with prices starting at £45 per month, but a full recharge costs just a pound or so. Meanwhile, a one-hour service is required each year, , plus there's no road tax and no congestion charge either. Insurance should be low too, making the Twizy amongst the cheapest models to run.

7. Reliability: 4/5
Although Renault doesn't enjoy a reputation for the greatest durability or build quality, its current range of cars is far more reliable than the previous one. As the Twizy is one of the most simply constructed machines on the road, in theory there isn't a huge amount to go wrong, so it should prove to be a very dependable machine. Also, while the Twizy is built down to a price, it feels more solidly constructed than you might expect.

8. Safety: 3/5
Despite its apparent lack of any real structure, Renault has taken crash safety seriously. The Twizy's two occupants sit within a tough safety cell and while there isn't a huge amount of safety kit as standard, the driver gets an airbag along with a four-point seat belt - the passenger gets a three-point restraint. There are disc brakes all round but no ESP, and there's no anti-lock technology either. The Twizy has been crash tested, but not by Euro NCAP, so it doesn't carry an official rating.

9. Equipment: 2/5
To keep cost and weight down, the Twizy comes with an absolute minimum of equipment, but there are three trim levels. Cheapest is the £6,690 Urban, with a quick-clear windscreen and plastic wheeltrims - and that's it. Move up to the £6,950 Colour and Renault adds floormats, a choice of interior colours and a different type of wheel trim, while the range-topping Technic is £7,400. This comes with 13-inch alloy wheels, metallic paint and a natty paint scheme - but there's still no heater, even as an option. Options on all models include rear parking sensors (£85), sat-nav (£120) and a Bluetooth hands-free phone kit (£270) along with a transparent plastic roof, for £195.

10. Why buy? 4/5
To be different and for its low running costs. The Twizy will put a smile on your face every time you take it out, although performance and range are limiting factors, along with the relative lack of weather protection.