Described by its manufacturers as one of 2012′s most eagerly-anticipated cars, Renault’s fully-electric, two seater Twizy seems to be causing something of a buzz.

Or, if it isn’t already, it just might yet. It just might yet.

You see, Renault have launched a competition in which one lucky, lucky winner could win enough money to cover a year’s worth of tuition fees.

Rather cheekily, they add “imagine the amount of supermarket own-brand beans you could buy with that kind of money” – and then they deploy some ellipses, so as to invite us to follow their line of thought and dream…

The competition’s open to both higher and further education students. Runners up win a weekend for two in Paris or £250 of FCUK vouchers.

And what do they want from you? Well, just to visit this website and download a Twizy template. You then have until 20th February to design and submit your own vision of the Twizy. And get this – you can enter as many times as you want! Those own-brand beans are as good as yours!

A Renault-appointed judging panel, including the brand’s own Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Laurens van den Acker, will whittle down all of the entries to find their top 10. It will then be up to the general public to cast their votes via Facebook to find the lucky winners who will be announced on 16th April 2012.

To promote the competition, Renault will be visiting four campuses around the UK with a Twizy:

- University College London – Mon 13th February

- Birmingham City University – Tues 14th February

- Manchester Metropolitan University – Thurs 16th February

- University of Glasgow – Fri 17th February

On the new Twizy, Andy Heiron, Head of Electric Vehicle Programme, Renault UK, said, “We’re really excited to launch the Twizy in the UK. Its low price, combined with expected low insurance premiums and running costs, means that Twizy will be well suited to younger drivers interested in an affordable way of getting around in style, in a much safer method than two wheels, whether it be pedal power, scooter or motorbike.”

Yes!

Good luck, future designers of tomorrow!

With the new Renault Clio not expected to arrive in UK showroom until 2013, Renault has announced the introduction of a new Expression+ trim across its current Renault Clio range.

Available on the Renault Clio 3 and 5-door models, as well as the Renault Clio Estate, the new Expression+ trim features all the standard equipment as seen on the Expression trim but with the added benefit of air conditioning.

The new Renault Clio Expression+ is now available to lease from Nationwide Vehicle Contracts with prices starting from just £169.95 + VAT a month for the Renault Clio 3 Door 1.2 16V Expression +. Standard features on this model include:

• Radio/CD/MP3 player
• RCA Input Socket
• ‘Guide Me Home’ Headlamps
• Front Fog Lamps
• Air Conditioning
• Sports Cloth Upholstery

To find out more about the new Renault Clio Expression+ and to get an instant quotation on any model, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Few car companies have gone unscathed in this economy. Being forced to drop certain models due to poor sales, Renault has had a particularly tough year. Now engaging UK market, it looks like the company has some really difficult choices to make in order to regain its popularity once more.

Based on sales figures, from February the car company will be dropping at the very least five models. Executives have noted that the top choices are the Laguna Hatch, Sport Tourer and Coupe. Furthermore, there are several rumours that suggest that the Espace, Grand Espace, Modus and Grand Modus, Wind Roadster and Kangoo passenger car may also be scrapped. While there is no definitive word on the matter, what is known is that they in total make up nearly 10 per cent of their UK sales.

Journalist Jack Rix suggested that there was no direct replacement for the Modus, Laguna or indeed the Espace. Rather, what the company is doing is focusing on its small, medium as well as large crossovers as possible alternatives to the models. While it is not known which models will be going on sale in Britain, there is some evidence that suggests that the small ones will do more favourably.

Certain evidence suggests that the first on the scene will be a supermini-SUV that will, in many ways, perform a similar function to the ever-popular Clio. This will be the first of the different models to arrive in the next few years. Each will play a role in revamping the significant drops in figures the past year. The company suggests that they’ll only be able to sell 75,000 in 2012 but ultimately hope that this will rise significantly in 2013.

A Renault spokesperson stated that these alterations are the first in many drastic plans to push the brand forward. Indeed, with Renault’s subservient company Dacia offering popular budget vehicles, Renault will now be focus on making their line as good as it can be, learning from but leaving behind its previous models.

While it is certainly not over for Renault, a great deal of change is needed to be done to bring them back to their past glory. With its fourth-generation Clio having gone on sale in November and the Twingo, Scenic and Megane going on sale in January, February and April, perhaps the company will be able to pull of their greatest achievement yet.

With Christmas just around the corner, there has never been a better time to invest in stylish and reliable 7-seat family vehicle.

For a strictly limited time, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has a fantastic deal on the on the Renault Grand Scenic 1.5 dCi Dynamique TomTom, in stock to lease from just £194.95 + VAT a month.

Whether you’re out and about with family or hefting large loads around, the Renault Grand Scenic is the perfect, spacious vehicle for the job.

With unbeatable headroom in the third row, class leading legroom in the second row and superb accessibility, the Grand Scenic provides comfortable seating for all of the family, making it the ideal vehicle for visiting the relatives this Christmas!

You can now save up to a further £15 a month on the Renault Grand Scenic 1.5 dCi Dynamique TomTom, in stock to lease from just £194.95 + VAT a month. Standard equipment on this mid-spec model includes:

• Carminat TomTom Navigation system
• Radio/CD with Bluetooth
• Air Conditioning
• Cruise Control + Speed Limiter
• Sport Cloth Upholstery
• 16″ Sport Alloy Wheels

To take advantage of this fantastic Renault car leasing deal, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

A morally reprehensible study undertook by Peugeot (called the “RCZ Study”) has “revealed” that Brits are “often more keen on being under the bonnet than between the sheets”.

Yes, the study of over 2,000 people was commissioned by the minds behind the RCZ Sports Coupé  and claims to highlight how some Brits are “more concerned with wheels than heels” – with 50% of men admitting that they find their partner more difficult to maintain than their car.

Furthermore, one in ten men confessed to “being more captivated with their cars’ alluring curves than their partners”.

Now, surely that one in particular is to be taken with a pinch of salt?

And, yep, this RCZ Study went on to demonstrate that men are capable of lavishing more love and attention on their cars than their girlfriends. It seems that men are three times happier spending cash on their car than their partner.

Oh, come off it, guys. You know, sometimes I flick through Grazia and the Times Style supplement (who doesn’t?) and I’m always struck by the amount of copy dedicated to demonising manhood itself. If those periodicals are to be believed, men are petty, unreliable, shallow and, apart from anything else, thick.

I’m always sat there thinking, “no, we’re not! Honestly, some of us are alright! Where did you get this idea from?”

Well, now we know. From surveys like this.

For it can’t really be the case that in the highly-unlikely (and utterly-impossible) scenario of a man having to choose between his car and his girlfriend whilst fleeing from a fire that he’d always go for his car, can it?

Can it?!

In that it saw numerous large manufacturers release such wonderful and accessible vehicles to a largely positive public and media reaction (coupled with a long-awaited and much-deserved corresponding public scorn for Jeremy Clarkson), 2011 might well be regarded as something of a year-zero for the old electric vehicle.

And the plaudits continue to pile up with the news that What Van? magazine have graced the fully electric Renault Kangoo Van Z.E (pictured) with their highly coveted Van of the Year award – and this only 120 hours or so after it went on sale in the UK!

Suspect? Not at all. Says editor Paul Barker: “The Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. is a pioneering revelation, impressive for its normality to drive as much as its technology under the skin. For operators in the right circumstances, it will be worthy of serious consideration, and coming in at the price it has, gives the technology every chance of moving towards the mainstream. The judges were unanimous in the Kangoo Van Z.E. being a deserving winner of our Van of the Year title.”

See? Seeing as the award was given based more on what the van represents than anything else, it’s not suspect at all that the Renault Kangoo Van Z.E has been on-sale for less than a week.

So, congratulations, Renault.

And here’s to year zero!

If you’re visiting the family this Christmas, no doubt you’ll need a reliable family car to help see you through the winter months.

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has some great winter deals available on a number of stylish hatchbacks, with plenty of room for all the family and a great price to match your budget!

Renault Megane 1.5 DCi Dynamique TomTom – In Stock From £159.95 + VAT!

First up is an amazing deal on the Renault Megane 1.5 DCi Dynamique TomTom, in stock to lease from £159.95 + VAT a month. Spacious, economical and jam packed with tons of technology including TomTom Sat Nav, the Renault Megane is one of the best value midsize hatchback cars currently available to lease. Standard features on this well-equipped model include Radio/CD with Bluetooth, air conditioning, cruise control, front fog lights and 16’’ alloy wheels.

Citroen C4 Hatchback 1.6HDi 90 VTR From £154.95 + VAT Over 2 Years!

The popular Citroen C4 Hatchback 1.6HDi 90 VTR is now in stock to lease from just £154.95 + VAT a month over 2 years. With its striking good looks, impressive safety features and comfortable interior that’s jam packed with new technology, the Citroen C4 is one of the most desirable hatchbacks for 2011. It’s highly efficient 1.6 HDi engine also makes it one of the best cars in its class for CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

Ford Focus 1.6Tdci Zetec – In Stock From £184.95 + VAT!

Ford fans will be pleased to hear that the Ford Focus 1.6Tdci Zetec is back in stock to lease from just £184.95 + VAT a month. Boasting a dynamic new style, excellent performance figures and a wealth of cutting-edge technologies, the all-new Ford Focus is one of the most practical and well-equipped cars on the market. Standard features include DAB radio, Bluetooth & 16” alloy wheels.

Vauxhall Astra Sport 1.6i 16V VVT SRi – Prices From £139.95 + VAT!

Finally, don’t miss out on the Vauxhall Astra Sport 1.6i 16V VVT SRi, available to lease from just £139.95 + VAT a month. Featuring a sporty exterior, generous equipment list and impressive performance figures, the new Vauxhall Astra Sport is certainly one hot hatchback! All models also come with Vauxhall’s ‘Warranty for a Lifetime’, making it the ideal car for all the family.

To take advantage of one of these fantastic hatchback car leasing deals, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

The 2011 Formula One season has been filled with twists and turns. The last race took place in Brazil on Sunday with nearly 5 million viewers witnessing it all come to a close. But as many F1 enthusiasts know, while the racing may be over new team tactics, designs and drivers are currently on every teams mind.  Now hoping to for a return to Formula One, Kimi Raikkonen is preparing in body and mind for the 2012 season, eager to recapture what he once had.

Having signed a two-year deal with Lotus Renault GP, the Finnish driver brings with him a huge amount of experience and talent. Having been crowed world champion in 2007, the driver called F1 quits in 2009 to pursue a career in rallying. Already won 18 races and had 62 podiums in F1, he is certainly a valuable commodity.

While he initially entered into negotiations with Williams, he decided that Lotus would be his new family. The Lotus team stated that they were delightful to have such a driver on their team. He said that the he was “hungry for F1” and that it was a “easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP.” He stated that he was impressed by the team’s ambition and looked forward to push the car as far as he can in the years ahead.

The BBC reported that there was initially some confusion about Renault’s line-up. The Polish driver Robert Kubica was scheduled to drive but unfortunately suffered a rally accident in February, causing many to question whether he will return to Renault. While his managed suggested that he’s focused on a 2012 return, critics remain skeptical.

Raikkonen first entered F1 in 2011 with Sauber and managed to score points on his debut. The year after that he signed with McLaren and eventually signed with Ferrari in 2007. The BBC reported that in 2007 he was neck-and-neck with Lewis Hamilton for the world championship. Due to a gearbox problem Lewis was unable to secure the points and allowed Raikkonen to be crowed. However after this win he was unable to recapture his high performance, ultimately being overshadowed by Felipe Massa.

Now poised for a return, it looks like Raikkonen could be making headlines once more. If his driving is anything like it was before f1 drivers should certainly begin to worry. Returning to the sport with a 579 total career points, it looks like the 2012 season will as exciting if not more so than the previous one.