► An affordable EV that you actually want
► Up to 255 miles of WLTP range
► Costs less than you think
The new Renault 5 might just be that rarest of things: an electric car that’s fun – aspirational, even – and that doesn’t cost a fortune. I mean, it looks fantastic. Chunky and resolutely modern, but with just the right amount of retro thrown in.
The ‘Iconic Five’ that you see here, in Pop Yellow, really does pop – and details like the French flags in the headlights, the bonnet detail that also shows your charging status… It’s the best modern mainstream car design since the Fiat 500, I reckon, and it looks just as brilliant in the more muted colours that you can get, too.
UK specs and prices haven’t been confirmed yet, but expect the Renault 5 to cost from around £23,000 for the 40kWh (usable) LFP battery that manages 194 miles of WLTP range, while the 52kWh unit ups that range to 255 miles and will likely cost a couple of thousand more.
At a glance
Pros: Decent ride and handling, low price, epic styling, great infotainment
Cons: Real-world range seems underwhelming, annoying stalk arrangement
What’s new?
All of it. Even the platform – dubbed the AmpR Small platform – is new and will underpin more Renault electric cars in the near future, including the Renault 4.
A new platform means lots of other cool new stuff, too, of course, including vehicle-to-load charging, and from 2025 the Renault 5 will also support vehicle-to-grid so that you can run your home from the car. I mean, is this the coolest backup generator, ever? I suspect so.
Obviously the interior is all-new, too, complete with plenty of nods to the original Renault, some very bright colours if you choose them, lots of recycled materials and even a baguette holder, if you spec it. The touchscreen will be familiar if you’ve spent time in Renaults, as it gets the Google software from the Scenic and Megane, although there are some tweaks to the software on the slim, landscape screen.
What are the specs?
Well, the Renault 5 doesn’t major on pace, but that’s only right as it’s not intended to be a hot hatch. That’s reserved for the forthcoming Alpine A290 that will, hopefully, deliver a proper hot hatch version of the 5.
As such, the 5 comes with a modest 121bhp and 166lb ft when fitted with the smaller battery, although 0-62mph time hasn’t been confirmed yet. The big battery version gets a slightly punchier 148bhp and 181lb ft, for a 0-62mph in 8.0sec.
Rapid charging peaks at 100kW, which is pretty par for the course alongside rivals like the electric Mini Cooper, Fiat 500e, Citroen e-C3 and Peugeot e-208. It’ll get you a 10-80 per cent charge in around 30 minutes, or plugging into a 7kW home wallbox fully charge the 5 in six to nine hours depending on battery size. It will take an 11kW AC charge if you’ve got access to a charger to support those speeds, and of course you’ve got that V2L facility, too.
Also, while we’re on specs – you can tow a 500kg trailer with the Renault 5. You’ll be the coolest person at the tip, no doubt about that.
How does it drive?
It’s rather brilliant, to be honest. As long as you’re not expecting hot hatch-ness, anyway. Wieldy. That’s the word that comes to mind.
Our car came on Conti EcoContacts 195/55 R18 rubber, which is unusual as you rarely see a chunky 55-section sidewall, these days. More’s the pity, as it no doubt contributes to the Renault’s nicely pliant ride comfort, which soaks up coarse surfaces nicely despite the fact that body control is pretty neatly tied down.
Added to this the quick steering – 2.6 turns lock-to-lock for a 10.3-metre turning circle – and you have a delightfully perky yet comfortable balance that’s ideal for anything from a torturous multi-storey to a chilled motorway run. Maybe that steering can be a touch too darty in Sport mode, and the fairly skinny tyres loose grip gradually but fairly early on if you do go into a corner with a bit too much gusto. Ultimately, this does feel like a more moderate car to drive than the overtly firm and sporting Mini, there’s no doubt about that. But the 5 is intuitive and easygoing while still being good fun if you want to gamely swing it through some corners.
That wide stance, wheels at the extremities, a fairly low kerbweight of under 1.5-tonnes… It’s feels properly responsive and cheerfully unintimidating. It’s not hugely fast, but that’s fine as it means you can use 100% of the potential without fearing for your life or your licence, and that’s exactly what a Renault 5 should be.
It just gels really nicely, and feels spot on for a car that’s going to have to deliver a broad remit from urban specialist to everyday suburban and motorway commuter.
However, I had one concern with the Renault 5, and that was the real-world range that we were seeing. This comes with the caveat that we only had half a day with the car, but in fairly warm weather and moderate driving speeds, we still only managed around 180 miles from the 52kWh battery in our test car. It’s a bit disappointing, that. Mind you, that’s much the same as what most rivals deliver, so it’s no deal breaker in this class.
We’ll come back to you with proper real-world range figures when we’ve had the car in the UK, and in more typically British conditions.
What about the interior?
It’s surprisingly useful, the Renault 5. Sure, it looks pretty eccentric – especially with the retro ‘heather yellow’ upholstery of our test car, and there are neat details like the decal on the dash that changes colour with the drive mode, and the little etched Renault 5 face in the wireless phone charging tray. But you also get a cushy seat with simple manual adjustment and electric lumbar adjustment, and while I’d like the seat and wheel to drop a tad lower, there’s enough adjustment (including the rake- and reach-adjustable steering) for most drivers to easily find a natural-feeling driving position.
The fact that you get physical air-con controls, an actual button that instantly activates the settings that you’ve saved for safety aids including lane-keep assist and speed-limit warning, and even proper buttons on top of the touchscreen housing to control the volume and turn the screen off, is a huge bonus.
Plus, that Google software on the infotainment system is straightforward, the screen responds quickly and you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you want them. That’s all you need, really, isn’t it?
Really, our only quibble is that there are too many stalks clustered on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, making it easy to viciously wipe the windscreen when you were going for reverse. The action going into Park on the gearshifter feels a bit clunky, too, and actually doesn’t go into Park but goes into Neutral – relying on the automatic electric handbrake to hold the car in place, instead. Which seems just plain weird, and unlike any other EV I can think of. What was wrong with a ‘Park’ setting?
Anyway, those in the back have a good amount of space. The rear doors could do with opening wider, but an average-sized adult will be fine back there, and you even get a centre rear armrest and a couple of charging sockets. The taller among us might struggle – particularly if you’re sat behind a tall driver.
As for the boot, it’s not bad at all for this size of car. There’s 326 litres on offer, plus a useful amount of underfloor storage for your cables, and you can fold the rear seats in a 60/40 split if you need to. There’s no frunk, though, which is a shame.
Before you buy
UK specifications haven’t been confirmed yet, but we know that the 5 will come in Evolution as the base trim, which will only be offered with the 40kWh battery. Mid-spec techno trim (mm-ch-mm-ch-mm-ch-techno-techno-techno) will be offered with both batteries, and will probably be the big seller at roughly £27,000 for the big battery version. If the Megane and Scenic ranges are anything to go by, it’ll have all the kit you really need or want, and we do know that the 5 will have a standard heat pump for better efficiency in winter, but watch this space for the full details.
Top-spec Iconic Five is the option for you if you want all the decals and cool design details, not to mention the bright interior finish to match the delightfully lurid Pop Yellow or Pop Green. Naturally, both of these colours are inspired by the original 5, which arrived in 1972, and went on to sell over 5.5m units around the world up until it went off sale in 1985.
Mind you, the Iconic Five trim won’t be around for long. Renault is promising to change the top-spec 5 each year, to give it an annual ‘season’ along the lines of haut couture fashion lines, and all of that. Details like the decals and colours will change, and Renault is even promising bespoke 3D-printed touches, such as the tip of the gear-shifter that protrudes from behind the steering wheel, and which has a 3D printed tip and is designed to look like a lipstick case and can be personalised and even changed, in case one day you fancy a fresh colour for your gear shifter.
Renault 5: verdict
Never meet your heroes, is what they say. That warning rarely rings truer than when your heroes have been resurrected and redesigned for an entirely different era. Well, the Renault 5 is a hero of mine. My first car was a 1984 Renault 5, which I bought in 2002, complete with a 1.0-litre petrol engine, a four-speed gearbox and white paint that was yellowing like old teeth. But I loved it, as did most people who owned a Renault 5. So, I was worried about the new 5. Rarely has a new car carried such a weight of expectation.
But, d’you know what? It really is brilliant: Cheerful, easy and fun to drive, yet also comfortable, surprisingly useful and brilliant value. And all in a car that really does have presence on the road.
Sure, the 5 isn’t without competition in the affordable electric car class thanks to this year’s flurry of new arrivals, and that’s great for the consumer. But I do wonder if Renault might have just wrapped up the affordable electric car class with the 5. After all, it’s an attainable, practical electric car but, more importantly, it’s a car that you actually want to own. That you’d like to be seen in. Plenty for the head, and even more for the heart. Basically, this is one reborn hero that you should definitely meet.
Specs are for a Renault 5 52kWh Iconic Five