Life is too short to ride sad.
The Italian Luca de Meo understood this a long time ago.
This is how we should undoubtedly understand the rebirth of the Renault 5. Presented as a world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show but not on our roads before the last quarter of 2024, the next electric city car from the Boulonnais firm has already won the battle of communication.
While waiting to discover it on the street, Renault's new darling, called to replace the Zoé, is partially revealed on all communication media.
The granddaughter of a car which, in the collective unconscious, belongs to our rolling heritage, contains all the elements of a rehabilitation of the automobile.
The R5 E-Tech Electric: we see it, we want it.
Luca de Meo, the first.
When he took the reins of Renault in July 2000, armed with a good dose of flair and audacity, the Italian revived this city car project which had been dismissed by the previous team.
The rest of the story is written in the design and style offices.
At the start of 2021, the 21st century R5 becomes the symbol of Renaulution, the French manufacturer's strategic plan to return to the forefront.
DPPI/DPPI
After three years of hard work by the diamond teams, this car, which aims to be the spearhead of the new generation of Renault, is almost ready to hit the road.
Made in France, in Douai, including the batteries from 2025 with Envision, it carries the hopes of offering an electric city car below 25,000 euros (without bonus), in basic version.
The core range should be around 28,000 to 30,000 euros.
This is because the manufacturer has greatly refined its business and, as with Mini, the catalog includes numerous customization options.
Depending on the seasons and vintages, collections will follow one another, largely inspired by the original 1972 model. To begin with, Renault is putting back on the shelves the pop shades of grass green and buttercup yellow but with a glitter effect.
They will coexist with a white, a black and a blue.
A red ring surrounds the roof, gold for the blue version, a nod to the Clio Williams.
We already know that other colors will also play on the heartstrings of nostalgia.
Almost 4 meters long
Close to the 2021 prototype, placed on large wheels measuring 670 mm in diameter and 18 inches, the production car evokes as much the 1972 model as the beastly Turbo version of 1980 and the Super cinq of 1984. The new vehicle has memorized the shape but changed size.
If the original was born as a 3-door, its electric descendant is a 5-door city car whose rear door handles are hidden in the quarter pillars.
To situate its size, in more than fifty years, the length has increased by 400 mm to reach 3.92 m.
If the Twingo is 30 mm shorter, the Clio is 130 mm longer and the Zoé is 160 mm longer.
As for the wheelbase, it is shortened by 40 mm compared to the Clio.
With a height of 1.50 m, the R5 is placed equidistant between the Clio and the Zoé.
The bodywork details also multiply the nods to the original model.
The hood ventilation grille now houses a charge indicator whose graphic forms the number 5 and which lights up when the driver approaches his car.
The always sparkling and mischievous headlights were designed in such a way as to evoke those made up like eyes, on the occasion of the 1972 launch. For their part, the rear lights, always vertical, are enriched with air intakes which recall the R5 Turbo.
The design of the seats is reminiscent of that of the R5 Turbo 1. DPPI/DPPI
Denim upholstery
The neo-retro continues inside where nostalgia is dressed in modernity.
The covering of the passenger side board takes up the theme of vertical streaks of the 1972 model. The enveloping seats are an evocation of those of the R5 Turbo.
For the rest, the R5 is a car of its time.
A double horizontal digital panel takes place.
The instrumentation screen measures 10.1 inches, only 7 inches at the entry level.
The 10-inch multimedia screen extending but oriented towards the driver integrates the OpenR Link system with Google which has proven itself on the manufacturer's recent models.
The R5 will participate in the brand's commitments in terms of respect for the environment.
As an accessory, the R5 can receive a woven wicker basket intended to accommodate a baguette.
Sylvain Reisser
The intermediate Techno finish will be dressed in a denim fabric made from 100% recycled plastic (PET) water bottles.
Renault has also developed new accessories such as additional storage spaces printed in 3D at the Flins factory and a woven wicker basket developed by Touraine basket maker Marguerite Herlant and intended to hold a baguette.
The idea came from Luca de Meo who was desperate about traces of flour and bread crumbs on the car seats.
Finally, the steering wheel gear lever tip in the shape of a lipstick tube can be personalized.
Despite its compactness, the R5 announces a loading volume of 326 liters.
400 km with the 52 kWh battery
The new AmpR Small platform developed for Renault city cars.
Sylvain Reisser
In keeping with the times, the new R5 will only be electric.
It inaugurates the AmpR Small platform dedicated to segment B vehicles. It is an evolution of the CMF-EV B structure, composed for 70% of its cost of elements from the Clio and Captur.
It's a tour de force: engineers only took three years to develop this platform used for the next Nissan Micra and the future 4L.
Its particularity: the NMC type battery (nickel, manganese, cobalt) installed under the central part of the floor is made up of four modules (52 kWh), three with the small 40 kWh battery launched later and reduced by 60 kilos (240 kilos). ) compared to his sister.
These two models consist of 46 and 31 modules respectively.
Unlike other manufacturers, Renault announces that its battery will be repairable.
DPPI/DPPI
The only model available at launch, the 52 kWh version powers a 110 kW (150 hp) wound rotor electric motor and 245 Nm of torque.
It will allow the R5 Electric to reach 50 km/h in 3.2 seconds.
The small battery will power a 70 (95 hp) or 90 kW (120 hp) motor and will allow a range of 300 km.
The 52 kWh version claims 400 km.
It will be able to recharge at a power of 100 kW on a fast terminal (direct current) while the 40 kWh version will be satisfied with 80 kW.
In both cases, it will only take 30 minutes to go from 15 to 80%.
The charging indicator installed on the front cover.
DPPI/DPPI
This will be one of the car's advantages: the presence of a bidirectional charger which will authorize V2G and V2L but only on the 90 and 110 kW versions.
The R5 is thus the first electric city car to be able to plug in a household electrical appliance but also to become an electricity storage space.
Tomorrow, provided you have a suitable installation, it will be possible to reduce your electricity bill.
Renault's Mobileze subsidiary is thus in the process of refining a dedicated offer around a bidirectional terminal.
Finally, Luca de Meo assures that the R5 Electric will also appeal for the dynamism of its chassis.
Renault did not skimp on resources by installing a multi-link rear axle that will be found on a version of more than 200 hp from Alpine.
This architecture will feature by-wire braking with energy recovery.
The weight below 1.5 tonnes should convince the most skeptical.
See you in a few months to discover it on our roads.
With the gold roof trim, the blue tint refers to the famous Clio Williams of the 1990s. DPPI/DPPI