Production-ready Renault 5 E-Tech finally revealed

Renault on Monday released a cache of new photos detailing its production-ready Renault 5 (R5 for short) E-Tech.

An all-electric hatchback sized between the current generation Twingo and Clio, this retro-styled machine is styled after the original Renault 5 that mobilised millions around the world while it was in production from 1972 to 1996. 

Looks might be subjective, but we think the new R5 is a real stunner with a good mix of old-school design cues blended with futuristic features such as pupil-shaped LED headlights programmed to wink when the car is unlocked. There are also large 18-inch alloy wheels, vertical tail light clusters shrouded in glass (to improve aerodynamics) and a reinvented bonnet vent grille that holds a charge indicator in the form of the iconic number “5”. 

When the driver approaches the vehicle it lights up, showing exactly how much juice is left inside the vehicle's battery pack (up to 52kWh). Other standout features include bloated wheel arches, aggressively-edged side sills and two especially striking exterior colours: Pop Yellow and Pop Green. White, black and dark blue are also available.

The interior of the R5 E-Tech is equally pleasing, with a distinctive two-tier dashboard upholstered in a denim fabric made from recycled plastic bottles (sustainability is a big deal for Renault and 85% of the cabin has been hewn out of recycled materials). This is also used on the vehicle's seats, the front of which are a modern-day interpretation of the chairs used in the Renault 5 Turbo hot-hatch that debuted at the Brussels Motor Show in 1980. Another cool vintage touch is the diamond-embossed headliner and an (optional) tubular wicker basket that attaches to the centre console to hold a baguette. 

Tech highlights include two 10.1-inch screens. The one in front of the driver acts as an  instrument cluster while the one in the middle of the dashboard is a dedicated multimedia touchscreen with a bright, flowing interface supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. ChatGTP is built in as is Renault's intelligent voice assistant, Reno. While the front cabin is fitted with ample storage bins for oddments, the boot offers 326l of cargo space. Building on this reasonably level of practicality are 60:40 split folding rear seats. 

As TimesLIVE Motoring has reported in the past, the R5 rides atop the French carmaker's all-new AmpR Small platform featuring an optimised front suspension similar to what you'll find on the current Clio, while the rear end employs a sophisticated multi-link set-up said to deliver “a level of roadholding and performance formerly unknown in this segment”. The latter also helps with packaging and frees more space for the hatch's battery pack.

From launch Renault is offering the R5 with a choice of three front-mounted synchronous electric motors of varying output: 70kW/215Nm, 90kW/225Nm and 110kW/245Nm. These can be paired to one of two battery packs depending on your needs: a 40kWh version offering a claimed range of up to 300km (WLTP) or a larger 52kWh unit good for a maximum range of 400km (WLTP). DC rapid charging up to 100kW is supported (15% to 80% charge in 30 minutes) as is bidirectional AC charging, which effectively turns the R5 into a kind of portable four-wheeled power bank. While the 1,450kg 110kW version will go from 0-100 km/h in under eight seconds, all R5 variants offer a towing capacity of 500kg.

Priced from €25,000 (about R523,000), the Renault 5 E-Tech will go on sale in France in September. At the time of writing it is not under consideration for the local market.