The Renault 5 would just be a simple rebadged Zoé: we decipher

The new Renault 5 e-tech would just be an updated Zoé. These are the type of comments you see on social media. Some reactions therefore judge, therefore, that the enthusiasm around this model is exaggerated and that the praise during the tests of the R5 would be artificial. A distrust that deserves attention.

Even if I only have a distant memory of testing a Renault Zoé (ZE40), the two models have nothing to do with each other. Of course, this remark of similarity is not about the interior and exterior design; if we focus on the platform or the handling on the road, there is not much comparable either. However, this remark has come up frequently in recent days.

Are the Zoé and Renault 5 really identical?

An evolution of characteristics which can raise doubts

What we mean by rebadged model means that a manufacturer takes the technical basis of an existing model from a partner, changes some aesthetic elements (front, light signature, etc.) and adds its coat of arms, before marketing this model in its range. In the event of a more significant modification, it is no longer quite a rebadging. However, in the case of the R5 e-tech, the changes involved are not only aesthetic.

If the Renault 5 dusts off the style of the French brand, the manufacturer has adopted already proven recipes for the technical part. This is where doubts can arise, and raise the question of whether we are dealing with a new product or a simple variation of an existing vehicle. So let’s take stock.

Renault still relies on its wound rotor synchronous motors. The group is proud to use engines that do not use rare earths, even if this technology also has flaws. Therefore, this does not change compared to Zoé in terms of the appellation. This does not mean that the engine has not evolved, on the contrary. That of the R5 is more compact and lighter than the previous one. It has also evolved in terms of the gearbox. The engine of the Zoé corresponded to the code 5AQ, while that of the Renault 5 is the 6AK.

The size of the battery may also have reinforced this impression. The last generation of Zoé used a 52 kWh battery for 390 km of range. It turns out that the battery of the R5 e-tech also makes 52 kWh for 410 km with the WLTP standard, a difference of only 20 km. Elements which, for some, are enough to conclude that the batteries are identical from one model to another. However, this is incorrect: the supplier, the organization of the modules and the size of the pack have nothing in common.

Do the two cars really share the same platform? If Renault probably did not start from a blank slate for the R5, it seems a little hasty to conclude that it is a return to the old base of the Zoé. Especially since the Renault 5 e-tech incorporates a multi-link suspension at the rear, an element that the Zoé did not have.

Among the notable changes between the Zoé and the R5, the charger is completely different. On the R5, everything is grouped into a single element. In the process, it loses the AC charging capacity at 22 kW and must make do with 11 kW in alternating current. On the other hand, it gains the V2L and V2G functions, as well as direct current charging at 100 kW peak. That’s already a lot of change for a simple evolution.

And, in terms of driving sensations?

There are not the same sensations behind the wheel of a Renault 5 as a Zoé, no offense to Zoé fans. However, I haven’t had the opportunity to test the most recent versions – so we could get close. Renault 5 seems to me to bring a lot of fun, agility and dynamism compared to the Zoé.

The data in the technical sheet does not make it possible to detect any notable similarities:

It should be added that like Mégane or Scénic, the Renault 5 in its high-end finish has the OpenR Link system, which is based on Google services. We are also very far from the Zoé generation in the entire technology part of this model.

It is perfectly normal for a manufacturer not to reinvent the wheel every time. At no time has Renault committed to making a model that does not use any technology or parts from the past, which would make little sense. In addition, relying on what already exists also makes it possible to contain prices with components whose production and assembly are controlled.

If all this hasn’t convinced you that the Renault 5 and Zoé are very different, despite vaguely similar data, the best thing to do is probably to try it for yourself. This will certainly be the best way to check if the journalists are really doing too much for this “Zoe rebadged with big marketing shots”.

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