Renault Mobilize Duo & Bento Review: How Simplicity and Bold Design Are Rewriting Urban Mobility

(Image Source: Renault)

Cities were never designed for today’s cars. Streets are tighter, parking is scarce, and short trips still account for most daily journeys. Yet vehicles keep getting bigger. Renault’s Mobilize brand is pushing back against that logic. Duo and Bento are not downsized cars. They are a rethink of how people and goods move through dense urban spaces.

Unveiled as production-ready vehicles, Mobilize Duo and Bento challenge familiar automotive assumptions. They are electric quadricycles built for cities first, not highways. One focuses on personal mobility. The other targets last-mile delivery. Both aim to be safer than two-wheelers, simpler than cars, and far more practical in real city life.

Why Urban Mobility Needs a Reset

Before looking at Duo and Bento themselves, it helps to understand the problem they are designed to solve.

Urban mobility today is shaped by several pressures:

• Congestion that makes large vehicles inefficient
• Parking spaces that keep shrinking
• Environmental rules tightening in city centres
• A growing need for affordable, flexible transport
• Increased demand for last-mile delivery solutions

According to European transport studies, over 70 percent of daily car trips in cities are under 10 km. Most involve one person and minimal cargo. Duo and Bento are built specifically for that reality.

What Exactly Are Mobilize Duo and Bento?

Mobilize Duo is a two-seat electric quadricycle designed for individual users. Depending on version and local regulations, it can be driven with or without a full driving licence. Bento is its utility sibling. Instead of a passenger seat, Bento features a large enclosed cargo box and requires a driving licence.

Both are offered to private customers and businesses. Both are compact, electric, and city-focused. And both sit between two-wheelers and conventional cars in terms of regulation and use.

Design That Breaks Automotive Rules

(Image Source: Renault)

Duo and Bento look nothing like traditional cars, and that is deliberate.

Their design borrows more from industrial products and consumer electronics than automotive heritage. The large glazed surfaces, exposed structure, and elytra doors give them the appearance of a futuristic capsule rather than a small hatchback.

Key design ideas include:

• Central driving position for balanced visibility
• Tandem seating instead of side-by-side
• Vertical elytra doors that open upward
• Unpainted, durable body panels
• Strong emphasis on function over ornament

The elytra doors are not just a visual statement. They allow safe entry and exit without swinging into cyclists or pedestrians. Because seats are aligned front to back, occupants can exit from either side.

Compact Size With Big Urban Advantages

(Image Source: Renault)

Duo measures just 2.43 metres long and 1.30 metres wide. Bento stretches slightly to 2.54 metres to accommodate its cargo box. That footprint is roughly half the size of a conventional city car.

In practice, this changes everything.

• Parking becomes trivial
• Manoeuvring through narrow streets is stress-free
• Turning circle is just 6.80 metres
• In some cities, three Duos can park in one standard space

Agility matters more than speed in cities. Duo’s compact dimensions make it feel light, responsive, and easy to place.

Driving Feel: Small Vehicle, Serious Confidence

Despite its size, Duo does not feel flimsy. The central driving position gives a strong sense of control, similar to sitting in a single-seat cockpit. Suspension geometry is optimised for urban obstacles, especially speed bumps and uneven surfaces.

Power comes from a proven 48-volt electric motor derived from Renault Austral’s mild hybrid system. Acceleration is brisk enough to flow with traffic and slip into gaps without hesitation.

Regenerative braking activates when the driver lifts off the accelerator, helping recover energy and reduce brake wear. The experience is smooth rather than sporty, which suits its mission perfectly.

Range and Charging in Real Life

Duo and Bento use a 10.3 kWh usable NMC battery, similar in architecture to a single module from the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric.

Official WMTC range figures are:

• Up to 161 km for Duo
• Up to 149 km for Bento

In real urban use, most drivers can expect well over 100 km between charges, even in colder weather.

Charging is refreshingly simple:

• Standard domestic plug under the front hood
• Optional Type 2 socket for public chargers
• 25 km of range recovered in one hour from a wall socket
• 20 to 80 percent charge in under four hours

This fits naturally into daily routines rather than demanding fast chargers.

Interior: Simple, Tough, and Cleverly Designed

(Image Source: Renault)

Inside, Duo feels more like a piece of urban equipment than a car, and that is a compliment.

The dashboard takes inspiration from 1980s boomboxes. Controls are intentionally basic. Screens are replaced by the driver’s smartphone, connected via Bluetooth or USB-C.

Comfort features include:

• Enclosed cabin with real weather protection
• Heated driver’s seat and heated windscreen
• Manual air conditioning
• Washable TEP fabric seats
• Over 300 litres of interior storage

Seats can be cleaned with a sponge or hose, with drainage built into the floor. This makes Duo ideal for heavy daily use or shared mobility.

Native Connectivity That Actually Makes Sense

Duo is designed around a smartphone-first philosophy.

The MyDuo app handles:

• Digital key access
• Sharing keys with up to six users
• Vehicle location tracking
• Battery charge status
• Remaining range and user manual

The digital key can be activated or revoked instantly. This makes Duo easy to share within families or businesses without juggling physical keys.

For fleet users, connectivity expands into tools like geofencing, smart sharing, and remote charge inhibition.

Safety Where It Counts

Quadricycles are not required to meet the same safety standards as cars, but Mobilize went further.

Duo and Bento are the only quadricycles on the market to offer a driver airbag as standard. Seatbelts include force limiters, and the enclosed cabin provides far greater protection than scooters or motorcycles.

Renault Group’s Fireman Access system is also included, allowing emergency services to disable the battery safely after an accident.

Sustainability Beyond the Badge

Duo and Bento are designed with circular economy principles from the start.

Highlights include:

• Over 40 percent recycled materials by weight
• 60 percent recycled polymers in body panels
• Half of plastics sourced from end-of-life vehicles
• 95 percent recyclability at end of life
• 66 percent lower production emissions than A-segment EVs

Assembly takes place at Renault’s Tangiers plant, where 90 percent of energy comes from renewable sources.

Bento: The Micro-Van That Makes Sense

(Image Source: Renault)

Bento replaces the passenger seat with a 649-litre enclosed cargo box, equivalent to nearly 1 cubic metre of space. That is more than many city hatchbacks offer.

It is ideal for:

• Maintenance services
• Local deliveries
• Personal services
• On-demand urban logistics

Compact size allows access to restricted city zones, while customisable exterior panels turn Bento into a rolling billboard for businesses.

Versions Explained

Retail Users

• Duo 45 Neo for licence-free driving at 45 km/h
• Duo 80 Evo for licensed users with 80 km/h capability

Business Users

• Duo 80 Pro for fleets and shared mobility
• Bento 80 for service providers and deliveries

Pricing Overview (Approx. USD)

• Duo 45 Neo from around $9,800
• Duo 80 Evo around $12,500
• Duo 80 Pro around $11,500
• Bento 80 around $10,800 excluding tax

Prices vary by market and incentives.

Comparison With Urban Alternatives

Specification Snapshot

• Vehicle type: Electric quadricycle
• Battery: 10.3 kWh usable
• Range: Up to 161 km
• Motor: 48V electric
• Length: 2.43 m Duo, 2.54 m Bento
• Doors: Elytra vertical opening

MotorHub UAE Insight: Supporting New-Age Urban EVs

Keeping Compact Electric Vehicles Reliable in Harsh City Conditions

In the UAE, compact electric vehicles face extreme heat, stop-start traffic, and intensive daily use. Battery health, electrical systems, and cooling efficiency are critical for reliability.

MotorHub supports modern urban EVs with specialised diagnostics, battery inspections, and preventive servicing tailored for compact electric platforms. As cities evolve and mobility gets smaller, expert care ensures these innovative vehicles stay dependable every day.