When Ford decided to bring back the Capri name for their new EV, the ‘tyre kickers’ weren’t happy. However, there hasn’t been any complaints over Renault’s decision to introduce a new EV version of their popular Renault 5, but then the design hasn’t altered too much from the original.
Once a popular car for first time buyers, the Renault 5 now gets a retro look and the Pop Green version I drove certainly caught the eye of people I met last week. My wife certainly had no problem finding it in the supermarket car park.
The original Renault 5 was launched in January 1972 and was styled by Renault employee Michel Boué, who designed the car in his spare time. Renault bosses were impressed with Boué’s work and authorised a formal development programme. Boué died of cancer at the end of 1972, just a few months after the car he designed was launched.
My Pop Green version had a black roof and a lovely red trim to give an overall classy look.
There are various nods to the original Renault 5 with flared wheel arches, headlights and upright rear lights. Externally the car looks great; the headlights also carry tiny French flags and underneath you get square-type parking lights.
The designers also spent some time making the interior attractive. The dash is dominated by a 10.1-inch touchscreen. The gear selector, which also carries the Renault logo, is mounted to the right of the steering wheel to free up space.
You get a padded roofline, which is cute. The colour of the seats will match the exterior colour and the No5 is printed on both front doors with some versions also getting the No5 printed on the back seat.
The original car was a two-door car and at first you might think the EV version is also a two-door as the handles for the back doors are discreet; similar to the Alfa Junior that I drove the previous week. Space in the back is also a bit tight, similar to the Alfa.
The boot is a decent size, for a small car like this; 326 litres which rises to 1,106 litres with the rear seats down. There is a bit of extra storage space in the boot underneath the divider to hold the charge cables and other small items. No Frunk under the bonnet as you have a proper engine in there.
Green and Yellow are good colours for marketing the car, but if you’re buying new, you should give serious consideration to the colour you choose.
It’s a bit of a gimmick, but in the location of the original’s car bonnet vent we now get a stylised ‘5’ acting as a charge level indicator in the new car. And it’s all topped off with classy looking alloys.
Like all fully electric cars, the Renault 5 is quick off the blocks, but it’s not a racing car with a zero to 100km test timed at eight seconds and the top speed is 150kph.
There are two battery sizes, 44kWh paired with a 120bhp electric motor and a 52kWh which comes with a 150bhp motor.
Prices start at €25,995 and you can get three trim levels: Evolution, Techno and Iconic Five. As usual the higher the spec the higher the price.
Officially, the range for the large battery version is 410km, but in real life you should get around 365-370km, depending on weather conditions. Road tax is €120.
It’s gorgeous and all you have to do is choose the right colour.
