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Pros: Iconic good looks, fun to drive, comfortable.
Cons: Tight rear legroom, fiddly handbrake control.
Renault 5 Design
The new Renault 5 is a brilliant remake of one of the French car brand’s most iconic small cars from the 70s and 80s. Measuring just under four metres in length, it’s a little bit shorter than a Clio overall and cuter too. The electric powertrain has allowed the wheels to be pushed out to the corners with short overhangs that give it a delightful squat, sporty stance. The 5’s sense of fun is enhanced by cheeky-looking LED headlamps that even wink at you when you unlock it and bright colours like Pop Yellow and Pop Green.
There will be three trim levels for Ireland: Evolution, Techno and Iconic Five. The standard wheel size is 18-inch across the range. A black contrasting roof is available on the top two trims.
Renault 5 Interior
Inside the 5 feels instantly sporty and upmarket with a distinct padded, two-tiered dashboard and seats inspired by the classic 5 Turbo. There’s a brilliant driving position so it’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel.
In-car technology is impressive for such a small car. There’s a full digital driver display and 10-inch multimedia touchscreen with Google built-in just like in larger Renaults like the Megane and Scenic. It will tell you the estimated battery level upon arrival at your destination, suggests charging stops along the way and calculates how long charging might take. Renault’s new 'Reno' avatar also makes its debut and acts as a handy personal assistant.
The new Renault 5 is not the most spacious small car for rear seat passengers. While headroom is okay, legroom will be tight for adults. But having rear doors makes it instantly more practical than rivals like the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 Electric. The boot is dinky enough and has a high load lip, but not bad by class standards and there's a handy underfloor storage compartment for the charging cables.
Renault 5 Performance & Drive
The 5 will launch with a 52kWh battery with a range up to 410 kilometres, while a 40kWh version will join later with up to 312 kilometres. Built on Renault’s new Ampere platform dedicated to small electric vehicles, it’s been designed to be fun to drive but comfortable too. It uses a multi-link rear suspension with a focus on damping to absorb the increased weight of the battery. It still manages to tip the scales at less than 1500kg and doesn’t feel too heavy on the road. It’s smooth and quiet over the tarmac, which places it near the top of its segment for comfort and refinement. The steering is quick and direct making it great fun to drive through bends, while the 52kWh’s 150hp motor is lively enough. The only annoying quirk is that the gear selector behind the steering wheel does not offer a P position. You have to flit it into N and pull a separate switch on the dash for the parking brake, which feels unnecessarily clumsy.
DC fast charging is up to 100kW for a 15-80% charge in about 30 minutes. There’s also an 11kW bi-directional AC charger than can support vehicle to grid and vehicle to load charging.
Renault 5 Pricing
Renault Ireland has not released pricing yet but it’s expected that there will be some overlap with the Clio range, which is priced between €24,000-€34,000.
Carzone Verdict
The new Renault 5 is one of the most anticipated new cars of the year and it really doesn’t disappoint. It’s a joyful little car to drive but aside from its iconic good looks, it's a quality offering with an upmarket feel and lots of practical technology features. We’ve yet to see pricing and fully test its range and efficiency on Irish roads, but it could be a front runner in its segment come next year.