what does the new basic version look like at €23,990?

Renault opens orders for the R5 with a smaller battery and a less equipped finish. All this allows the starting price with bonus to drop to €23,990. But is it still a worthwhile purchase?

As promised by Renault, the electric R5 goes down range. Le Losange has just opened the order books for the “urban autonomy” version, equipped with a 40 kWh battery, instead of 52 kWh in “comfort autonomy”.

With this battery, we maintain good autonomy for a city car, since Renault announces 312 km in the WLTP mixed cycle. This variant retains the bidirectional 11 kW AC charger, but the maximum DC charging goes from 100 to 80 kW. Casually, compared to the techno and iconic 5 versions in 52 kWh, the price drop is €3,500. Which is worth it if you don't make long trips that often. The techno 40 kWh is therefore at €29,990 and the iconic 5 at €31,990 excluding bonus.

But that's not all. With the arrival of urban autonomy, Renault is launching a new, less equipped finish, the evolution. The starting price falls with it to €27,990, or €23,990 deducting the bonus of €4,000 valid until December 31, 2024.

On a technical level, there is nothing low-cost about this model, the characteristics being the same as the higher finishes. There is even a heat pump as standard. But do the looks and the equipment take a hit?

Also readTest: Renault 5 electric: all the consumption and autonomy measured in our Supertest!

An element closer to the concept!

The successful look of the R5 means that, even with a less chic presentation, the car retains all its charm. Moreover, if the evolution version is content with hubcaps, these give a retro nod to the R5 Turbo. Above all, the car retains its 18-inch wheels, avoiding the caster effect of the base versions.

In this configuration, the R5 will especially lose small decorative elements: there is no stripping on the front doors, no strip above the glazing, no aluminum-colored Renault letters on the tailgate, no signature bright in the optics. Additionally, the rear windows are not overtinted. The 5-shaped charging indicator light is also abandoned. The rear bumper is painted more black around the plate… but ultimately, that's how it was on the concept car!

Equipment without false note

On board, it's the same observation. The R5 loses some decorations, but the presentation remains attractive, notably here with a light quilted insert. You have to do without the chrome-colored elements on the steering wheel and air vents, and the ambient lighting. The car keeps the “petal” style seats, with gray and black textile upholstery with light stitching.

The good thing is that the car retains its large 10.1-inch touch screen. That of the instrumentation, however, goes from 10 to 7 inches.

The allocation remains generous. In addition to bidirectional charging (with V2G and V2L) and the large touch screen, we still have auto air conditioning, automatic high beams, electric and defrosting mirrors, hands-free access and even reversing sensors.

Even cheaper in 2025

The R5 evolution with urban autonomy is therefore a proposition without any unpleasant surprises. It’s a great introduction for a more reasonable price. It is also because Renault is preparing for 2025 the “real” basic variant, the Five, which will be more stripped down. In particular, it will skip DC charging! The price excluding bonuses will be under €25,000.