French icon returns in EV production form to take on old foes Mini and Fiat 500
CHARLIE MARTIN
OFFICIAL PICTURES
The production version of the Renault 5 has been unveiled at the Geneva motor show, as the first in a wave of retro EVs coming from the French brand over the next few years.
As promised, the road car is a faithful translation of the acclaimed concept from 2021, taking heavy inspiration from the original 1970s Renault 5, and it will eventually be joined in dealerships by evolved versions of the similarly nostalgic Renault 4Ever and Twingo concepts.
Renault is aiming to defend its position in the increasingly competitive small car market, and the 5 E-Tech is testament to the company’s commitment to providing affordable cars in the EV era. The launch price of €25,000 (approximately £21,400) in Europe is expected to translate to less than £25,000 when it arrives in the UK early next year. That will make it one of the most affordable electric cars on the market, undercutting even today’s cheapest, the £26,140 BYD Dolphin.
The 5 is based on a new EV architecture dubbed Ampr Small (formerly CMF-BEV), which shares much of its core structure with that used for the Nissan Juke and Renault Clio. Using the fundamentals of an existing platform is said to have cut development costs by 30%, compared with engineering a bespoke platform like that which underpins the £28,195 electric Fiat 500.
Renault engineers say driver engagement was a priority in the development of the 5, which is why it has multi-link suspension at the rear, rather than the torsion beam design used on the Clio.
Jean-Sébastien Blazy, vice-president for vehicle performance, previously told Autocar: “This is our secret in order to give our car very good agility and very good steering response, and to ensure the stability of the car in extreme manoeuvres, like avoiding a kid or an event on the road.”
Blazy added that the 5 “will be totally comparable in terms of vehicle dynamics with the Mégane [E-Tech]”. However, engineers acknowledge that the larger EV’s steering is criticised for being “too sensitive”, so the 5’s rack has been slackened from a 12:1 ratio to 13:7.
Prioritising dynamics – as well as the need to pack lots of electrical kit into a body slightly shorter than that of the Clio – spurred several key developments to reduce weight and space. The 5’s new motor, for example, uses a new inverter that cuts 15kg
