The R5, whose marketing has just begun, was promised to gather dust in a basement of the Renault Technocentre, in Guyancourt (Yvelines). Ignored by the former management, this neo-retro style exercise caught the eye of Luca De Meo, who came at the beginning of July 2020 to discover the past and future projects of the manufacturer of which he had, the day before, officially taken charge. The Italian leader, who a few years earlier had brought the new Fiat 500 to the baptismal font, suspected that an electric car reincarnation of the former star of the diamond, born in 1972 and produced in nine million copies, could have success.
Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers “Renault 5”: the first time “Le Monde” wrote it
Add to your selections
Four years have passed and the new R5 is ready. At Renault, no one doubts its success. Designed against usage – it was necessary to create a platform to adapt to the style while it is always the design which must conform to the architecture of a vehicle – it retained the balance of proportions and cheekiness very seventies of the prototype taken from oblivion by the boss. We don’t know if this pretty little car with its rounded shapes will become a bestseller, but it seems well born.
The most striking expression of « Renaulution »a vast reconquest project in which the French manufacturer is engaged, the R5’s mission is to restore luster to the brand in its favorite terrain, that of small cars. A specialty where Renault has hardly shone since the first Twingo, which won’t make anyone any younger.
No miracle
The R5 also plays on another, crucial aspect: the substantial expansion of the electric customer base. Renault does not provide any quantified objectives, but this car produced in the Douai factory (North) is not a niche model. He must “build volume”. In its rounded square shapes, characteristic of the original model, and its shades « pop » somewhat forced, the R5 marks a break with the coldness which too often characterizes the aesthetics of contemporary models, both electric and thermal. Its five seats contained in a limited size (3.92 meters long, or sixteen centimeters less than a Zoé) do not make it a family car – this will rather be the mission of the electric R4 unveiled at the World Cup.
Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers The end of the Renault engine in Formula 1 puts an end to almost half a century of history and worries the entire engineering group.
Add to your selections
Depending on the version, we can consider multi-purpose or mainly peri-urban use. Two batteries are offered. One with a capacity of 52 kWh for a maximum range of 410 km and a power of 150 hp. The other reaches 40 kWh (312 km) for 120 hp. The R5, whose weight (1,450 kg at most) remains reasonable, has calibrated its ground connections, its steering and its engine (120 or 150 hp depending on the version) to make you want to sit behind the wheel. Mission accomplished because in addition to being cute, the car is responsive and comfortable. The interior would have deserved a less classic presentation, in harmony with the exterior appearance.
You have 47.07% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
