The Renault 5 is back. Sort of. And, in case you didn’t know – it’s electric. It is scheduled for an official unveiling on February 26 at the Geneva Motor Show but the internet has its own agenda. If the leaked images swirling around the internet are anything to go by, the new Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is a blast from the past with an eye firmly on the future.
Renault says it’s staying true to the eye-catching concept car revealed back in 2021 ahead of its full debut at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show. And, based on these leaked images, it appears they weren’t kidding.
The charm of the original Renault 5 is alive and well. Boxy? Check. Quirky headlights that stare right into your soul? Absolutely. You’ll either love it or…well, you’ll probably grow to love it. Give it time.
There are a few noticeable changes compared to the concept. Most obvious is the addition of a big ol’ air intake on the front bumper. Practical, but not exactly a nod to the original R5. That said, those funky headlights with their “pupil” centers perfectly mimic the originals. Plus, there’s an illuminated ‘5’ badge on the hood that acts as a charge indicator. Cute, if a bit gimmicky, and with the potential to grow old fast.
Renault is clearly playing up the nostalgia factor, with a bright yellow launch paint color and an ad campaign centered around the tagline, “R5VOLUTION IS BACK.” Smart, because this little EV needs all the help it can get breaking through not only an increasingly crowded market, but a market that tiptoes back and forth – not knowing if it wants to go all-in on EVs or go back to the old smokey ways.
Renault claims a 400 km range on its 52 kWh battery, but take that with a hefty dose of salt. Real-world mileage is always less, especially when you consider this little hatch is meant to be a zippy urban runabout.
It’ll sit on the same ‘AmpR Small’ platform (formerly CMP-B EV) as other Stellantis group offerings, and while there’s talk of fancy multi-link rear suspension, don’t expect it to handle like a hot hatch. This car is about quirky charm, not corner carving. With the 53 kWh, we can expect it to weigh around 1,450 kg, which – while not excessively a lot – will dampen its performance a bit.
The interior, from what we can see in the leaked photos, features retro-inspired fabrics and that massive, Google-powered infotainment screen dominating the dash. Let’s hope Renault’s worked some bugs out of that system since the Megane E-Tech. Glitchy tech is just not charming.
At 3,920 mm long (just a smidge shorter than its twins Fiat 600e and Peugeot e-208), the R5 is squarely in city car territory. Renault is pushing its ‘R5 R Pass’ program, promising early orders and exclusive events for those willing to pony up an extra €150. A bold move, considering the expected €25,000 starting price puts it in competition with more established EVs.
When it comes to pricing, there is a catch – as always. The promised €25,000 applies to the models with the smaller 40 kWh battery, which won’t be available from the launch. The launch model will sport a 52 kWh battery pack which means a higher price. Unless Renault is about to pull a big fat white rabbit out of a hat.
Is the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric the quirky, affordable EV we’ve been waiting for? It seems so. As long as Renault can deliver on its affordability promise, we may be looking at Europe’s most popular EV in the making. If Renault gets the pricing wrong, we will be looking at an overpriced nostalgia trip. We’ll have more details to go over tomorrow, let’s hope there are still some good surprises left to discover.
