The iconic Renault 5 returns as an EV – however is it any good?

For a car that was once left languishing, ignored, and unloved in a dusty corner of Renault’s design department, the revived new all-electric Renault 5 – like an automotive Cinderella – really is now having a ball.

And you will too, just as I did, when I took my range-topping five-seater five-door hot hatchback model in an eye-catching shade called ‘Pop Yellow’ for an energetic and fun-packed spin for a day in the South of France before it arrives on UK shores at the start of next year.

But can a car powered entirely by batteries really recreate the character and charm of the original from 50 years earlier? 

The timing for my drive drive experience was perfect; after a week of deluge, storms and downpours on Cote D’Azure, the sun finally came out – and I’ve rarely seen so many sunny faces smiling at a car I’ve driven. 

Whether glamorous women strolling along the promenade at Nice, busy shoppers outside the boulangerie where I made an impromptu pit-stop for provisions (the R5 even has its own optional baguette holder accessory clipped centre console), or the high-visibility orange-clad workman holding the manual red and green traffic sign at a set of roadworks. They all beamed, or commented their appreciation.

Yet it almost didn’t happen, Previous Renault bosses had banished the revived R5 idea to oblivion insisting ‘no retro’.

So the design study for a hi-tech 21st century version of the Renault 5 – which sold more than 5.5million across 5 continents from 1972 to 1985 (or 9 million in the 24 years to 1996 when sold on in some markets) – was canned.

But when mercurial new Italian CEO Luca de Meo swept in to replace them after a big management shake-up in late 2020, he spotted the forlorn prototype of the car tucked away in the design studio and pretty much decided, in what he called a ‘gut-reaction’, on the spot: ‘Let’s do it.’ 

And thank goodness he did.

It’s now even had an early starring role in the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris. By this measure alone, it must have the required ‘Je ne sais quoi’…

Performance: What’s it like to drive?

Forget about this being an electric car.

Back in the early 1990s (and before I held a motoring brief), my company car was a feisty Renault Clio 16v hot-hatch– the successor to the Renault 5 made famous by those ‘Nicole and Papa’ adverts. 

It was an absolute hoot. 

And getting behind the wheel of the new R5 brought all that all feeling back. It’s fun with a capital F.

From launch there is a choice of two powertrains 110kW (150hp) and 90kW (120hp).

There will also be two battery sizes – 40kWh giving a range of up to 190 miles the more powerful 52kWh giving a longer range of up to 250 miles.

The car I drove was the more powerful of each – namely the 110kW 150hp electric motor and 52kWh battery – in range-topping Iconic trim.

There are three driving modes accessible by a button or the digital dashboard – Eco, Comfort and Sport – and the latter two worked best for me.

It accelerates with gusto from rest to 62mph in a sprightly eight seconds (curiously, the same time as my old 1.8-litre, 137hp 130mph Clio 16V from the 1990s, which may explain a lot). There’s instant acceleration just when you need it.

Yet it is very easy and intuitive to drive. It is not overpowering. It feels exceptionally well balanced and nimble. But it’s very nippy and agile. Someone in Renault’s ride and handling team deserves a bonus.

Indeed, weaving up and down the twisting serpentine hills inland from the coast was a gripping delight.

One idiot pressing my rear bumper for a short period was swiftly shown a clean pair of heels. He clearly couldn’t handle tight hairpin bends as well as we could.

But it was equally at home helping me navigate busy urban areas and rush-hour traffic amid the eccentricities of French driving techniques.

And on the motorway it had a scintillating lick of speed – including from a relatively slow start – that clearly surprised many other motorists.

Putting on the style – inside and out

The head-turning new Renault 5 grabs your attention straight away at first sight. It oozes charm.

Jump inside and the sporty, comfortable cosseting seats keep you well supported with a good seating position.

The dashboard may have ten-inch digital screens, but it doesn’t skimp on buttons and knobs for the important stuff – like putting on the air con.

Detailed design touches inside and out add to the delight. It has conventional door handles up front and clever concealed handles on the back doors.

A modern lighting signature includes a welcome and goodbye sequence which has a cheeky ‘wink’ from a headlamp and sounds created by composer Jean-Michel Jarre – adding to the personality. A charge indicator in the shape of a ‘5’ on the bonnet lets you know you have plenty of power and also lights up as you approach.

Lots of opportunities for personalisation from paint options and design decals with an estimated 200 combinations.

The steering-wheel mounted gear-selector or ‘e-shifter’ comes with a selection of customisable personalised covers which take their inspiration from Chanel lip-stick holders.

There are also a range of specially designed 3D printed accessories, as well as the legendary baguette holder.

It’s practical with plenty of storage cubby-holes and a deep boot with 326 litres of space before you consider lowering seats.

Around a fifth of the stylish interior trim cloth is recycled, rising to 100 per cent in the higher spec models.

Pricing and charging

There are three trim levels – evolution, techno and iconic.

In the less powerful 40kWh guise UK prices for the range will start at a fraction under £23,000 for the evolution, rising in stages of £2,000 to £25,000 for techno and £27,000 for iconic

Prices for the more powerful 52kWh versions are expected to start from just under £29,000, rising in similar £2,000 increments to around £35,000.

A Roland Garros special edition is set to top range in terms of price and spec, but no details are available yet.

At-home wallbox charging will take three and a half hours and a powerful public rapid charger will give 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. The new Renault 5 also comes with bi-directional charging which you can use to feed electricity back to your home, gadgets or the energy grid.

The Cars & Motoring Verdict 

The new Renault 5 EV has captured the real character and charisma of the original. 

In an age when cars can often look and feel the same, it oozes personality in the way that the reborn Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 – two of its rivals – have achieved. And it has the performance to match.

It is retro in spirit but with a decidedly hi-tech modern and contemporary twist.

The attention to detail throughout is impressive.

The whole package exceeds the sum of its parts. It just works. Or, as the French might say, it has that indefinable ‘je ne sais quoi’.

And it will sell like hot croissants, believe me.