Five’s alive: Renault wows with retro electric supermini

Renault has broken the internet and most of social media by unveiling and confirming plans to build a reborn, all-electric Renault 5. The French giant announced the news at a global press event where it reinforced its commitment to an electric future with plans to offer seven battery electric (BEV) cars by 2025.

Although officially described as a prototype, the Renault 5 will be one of the cornerstones of the brand’s electrification drive and will go wheel to wheel with the likes of the MINI, Fiat 500e and Honda e when it arrives. 

Merci merci - it's the French Renaulution

A number of styling elements from the original have been neatly integrated into the concept car’s  features. These include the bonnet air intake that has become the charging hatch, while the rear lights include aero flaps and the fog lamps in the bumper are daytime running lights. There’s even a nod to the original ‘5’ on the side vent, the wheels and rear logo.

​The front end and the textile roof are influenced by the world of furniture and are full of what Renault describes as ‘French charm’, with a hint of mischief and character that pulls on the heartstrings. The front and rear logos light up while the French flag integrated in the rear-view mirrors underline the “invented in France” ethos of the vehicle.

But while we already know that it will sell like hot croissants, what we don’t know yet is how big the battery is, how far it will go on a charge and, crucially, how much it will cost. Bosses have said that the new 5 will be the car to ‘democratise’ electric motoring, which would suggest that the brand is planning to give it mass market appeal. To do that, it will need to be a more affordable package than the Zoe currently is. Technically, the new model could be adapted from the Zoe platform and use the same battery, which could dramatically reduce both costs and development time. Question is, will customers still want the more profitable Zoe when the funkier and cheaper Renault 5 is on offer. 

Expect more information later this year ahead of a launch in 2023.

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• Watch Tom’s review of the Renault Zoe
  
• ​​Watch Nicki's guide to buying a used Renault Zoe