«The R5 is the best compact electric car in the world“. Just that ! This is what Renault boss Luca de Meo said in the press, a few days before the Geneva motor show which opens its doors this Monday February 26. This is the event that it has chosen to finally present, as a world premiere, its new small 100% electric city car, following three years of teasing the concept car revealed in January 2021.
Renault is betting big on this model, placed a bit like the symbol of its electrification. But are motorists really ready to abandon their thermal Clio, the best-selling car in France, for the new Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, its real name?
The electric Renault R5 remains accessible at an entry ticket of 25,000 euros
Renault has already drawn a lethal weapon, the affordable price. For the moment, Renault is based on the symbolic, competitive threshold of 25,000 euros. With such a price, the small model should directly tease the Citroën ë-C3, at 23,300 euros, or the future new Dacia Spring, unveiled on February 21 and announced at 20,000 euros. The price war promises to be rather tough because if the Romanian is not eligible for the ecological bonus of 4,000 euros, the two small French ones benefit from it, being both manufactured in France.
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While waiting for the first deliveries, scheduled for the second half of 2024, marketing has partly already started. Renault indeed offers a skip-the-line R pass at the price of 150 euros (plus a miniature of the R5 as a gift), which allows you to place an order 10 days before other customers, and therefore to be among the first delivered. But beyond its price, other elements have been worked on to be able to attract buyers. Here’s what to remember regarding this little R5, for those who would like to drive with it quickly.
The starting price of the electric Renault R5 should remain at 25,000 euros. Capital
Son look
The design of the R5 is already well known. The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric takes on the codes of the original and popular 1972 model, sold at 9 million copies until 1996, when its marketing ceased. Renault has obviously multiplied the nods to its elder sister. Rather angular and inflated, this neo-retro R5 asserts itself as very playful with its muscular appearance, with its widened and sculpted wings, and its humanized and laughing headlights, as well as with its light signature with the two rounded rectangular optical units.
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Also read: R5 electric: the model that is good for Renault
As if to stand out from the crowd, the pop colors, a reference to the old R5, are part of the launch range. Flashy yellow or green will brighten up your days! The advantage of its look is perhaps also the one that nestles on the hood: the ventilation grille has been replaced by a battery charge indicator, whose graphics form the number 5, which lights up when the driver approaches the vehicle.
The R5’s air vent has been replaced by a battery charge indicator, the graphic of which forms the number 5. Capital
Her size
Renault has adapted the size of its new R5 with market-leading proportions. Thus, the compact city car measures 3.92 m in length, it is shorter than a Clio (by 13 cm) and longer than a Twingo (by 30 cm), for 1.77 m wide and 1.50 m in height (6 cm higher than the Clio, but 5 cm lower than the Twingo). The trunk volume reaches 326 liters. The model is also equipped with large 18-inch wheels, for all finishes (entry, mid-range and high-end).
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The electric R5 model is equipped with large 18-inch wheels. Capital
Its interior and technology
Until now, the interior had remained a well-kept secret. Between modernity and a retro touch, Renault has concocted an interior all its own. The two-story dashboard is made up of a black decorative strip and a quilted fabric section, as well as air vents in the rounded rectangle shape of the headlight units at the front of the car. The upholstery has been taken care of with a recycled Denim fabric which covers the seats and the door panels (identical to the dashboard) in the core version.
We also note that the gear lever is placed directly at the steering wheel. Little extra that will make you smile: the baguette holder. There is a woven wicker basket to install and clip to the right of the center console to avoid traces of flour and crumbs following your visit to the baker.
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The electric Renault 5 offers a wand holder! Capital
Finally, the driver is faced with a double horizontal screen which consists of a 10.1-inch digital dashboard to display all driving-related information, and a 10-inch central multimedia unit for infotainment and all connected services. And surprise, Renault is introducing its new virtual mobility companion on this model. During daily journeys or on the vacation route, l’avatar Reno will be able to interact with the driver and passengers “in an empathetic manner” to support the discovery of the car’s functions.
So it can answer practical questions regarding the vehicle such as how to connect your phone, or schedule charging early in the morning, but also suggest closing the windows to optimize consumption, switching from sporty driving mode to economical mode once you arrive in a traffic jam. Finally, Reno can respond in a “conversational” way to a wide range of questions, beyond the car, thanks to the integration of the ChatGPT artificial intelligence application.
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The electric Renault 5 is shorter than the Clio. Capital
Its autonomy
Along with the price, charging and autonomy are among the obstacles to purchasing an electric vehicle. Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is the first vehicle entirely designed on AmpR Small, the new Ampere platform dedicated to electric vehicles in the B segment (small cars). At launch, only one engine will be available, before two others complete the offer “later”. It is a 110 kW (150 hp/245 Nm) engine associated with a 52 kWh battery, which allows the Renault 5 to have a range which can theoretically go up to 400 kilometers (in WLTP cycle).
The 11 kW AC bidirectional charger allows you to go from 10 to 100% autonomy in 4h30 of charging and the 100 kW DC socket, to go from 15 to 80% in 30 minutes on the motorway for example. An electric route planner to help you manage the battery or find terminals is integrated into the R5’s connected services.
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Also read: Electric car: this low-cost model which will compete with the new Citroën and Renault The electric Renault R5 also exists in a less pop blue. Capital
Sa french touch
If you are a fan of made in France and sustainable development, the R5 E-Tech Electric may be made for you. The model will be assembled in Douai, like the original, within the Ampere Electricity division, alongside the Mégane and Scénic E-Tech. Its engine will be manufactured at the Cléon factory and the batteries will come from the Envision gigafactory, Renault’s partner based in Ruitz, from 2025. According to Renault, 75% of its suppliers are less than 300 kilometers away of the Ampere ElectriCity division and the R5 is 85% recyclable for 19.4% recycled material and 26.6% materials from the circular economy integrated for example.
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