At the wheel of the Renault 5: Between batteries and nostalgia

Renault is playing the neo-retro card for its new city car, and is even reviving a legendary name. The "R5" is a superb nod to the one from my childhood. But now, it's electric... Let's test it!

Making something new with more or less subtle references to the past, that’s the new mantra for some manufacturers. Renault is now among them. Let's be clear, for the Renault 5, from this point of view, it’s a success. In front of me, I have a modern yellow car, but it can't stop me from thinking about the old R5. Especially the slanted hatch surrounded by vertical lights. And to help with the memory, a small label in the pocket behind the driver's seat shows the profile of different Renault 5 generations. Yes, there's indeed a family resemblance in this car, which is smaller than a Clio at 3.92 metres long. Nevertheless, the new Renault 5 E-Tech is looking towards the future because it's 100% electric. For this test, I had the "Comfort Range" version with a 52 kWh battery and 150 hp (110 kW) for 245 Nm of torque. That’s the introductions done.

Small, but...

On board, what an atmosphere! The Iconic Five finish is most impressive, notably the seats reminiscent of those in the incredible R5 Turbo. A duo of 10-inch rectangular curved screens, not too arrogant, sits atop a dashboard with a "70s touch" design. Among the references, there's a monogram that echoes the grille of an old Renault 5 on the central glove box near the wireless phone charger and USB-C ports, as well as what we call the cigarette lighter. The R5 2025 doesn’t have a manual gearbox (obviously). Therefore, the R-N-D selector has found its place behind the steering wheel, to the right. No P: at the end of a drive, just turn off the engine with the start button on the dashboard between the two screens. The transmission stalk sits above the windshield wiper controls and – even lower – those for the infotainment. The right hand has to work harder than the left. And there are also buttons on the steering wheel, including the "Multi Sense" one – on the right – for the driving mode. It’s used, for example, to choose the Eco mode, limiting the French car's speed to 115 km/h. Even though it can go up to 150 km/h...

Between Winter and Spring

Experienced in using EVs, I'm all too familiar with the limitations of small battery cars, despite reassuring WLTP ranges. Cheerful, friendly, and lively in the city, they too often wave the white flag on the motorway. So I look forward to putting the R5 to the motorway test. Especially since the morning frost, and even daytime, is still there for the first days of the test drive. Good news: my Iconic Five version comes with a standard heat pump. So there's no need to skimp on air conditioning. In principle, the 52 kWh should allow for 410 km in the official combined cycle. Of course not! The on-board computer quickly puts me back in my place with its estimated 330 km. And when the motorway comes, you understand that in winter, you'll have to think about stopping every 90 minutes, after just under 200 km, when the battery reaches around 10%. At the end of these few days of testing, spring finally shows signs of warmth. And then, miraculously, the car gains range even as I drive. This time, yes, you can count on 280 km on the motorway, with the battery at 100% in normal driving mode. That's 2 hours of driving before the first break, which is the bare minimum.

The Time to Live

The DC fast charging power is 100 kW. Except with frost, the first charge hardly exceeded 40 kW. With an outside temperature of 15°C, we managed to reach 70 kW. So you have to stop for 30 to 45 minutes to hope to get back on the motorway with a battery between 80% and 85%. You have to learn to take your time. Renault had a nice thought: a 5 on the bonnet which is a charge indicator. Sitting on a bench next to the terminal enjoying the first rays of sun, you can monitor the recharge with one eye without having to get up. I love it! On our journeys of more than 100 km between 90km/h and 120km/h, we exceed 20 kWh/100km on average. When the pace is less extreme for the small 18-inch wheels with winter tyres on this R5, consumption drops: 16 kWh/100km in urban and suburban driving. Clearly, this is not a car for big commuters. But it's also not a car that's impossible to take out of the cities. But since it's a real small car, the boot is limited to 326 litres. It's possible to fold down the rear seats to reach 1106 litres. However, with the Harman Kardon audio option of this tested model, the cables have no storage space. So they lie in the common space. Just like, if you take the option, the tool for connecting a device to the car with a standard socket and thus transforming the R5 into a giant battery.

Alive

Let's get to the best part: driving the R5. Well done Renault. Here's a dynamic and precise little electric car. It holds the road on the motorway, its fun in the bends and spreads good cheer behind the wheel. It brakes properly, bending towards the inside line to bring the rear around in a controlled choreography. These abilities were appreciated during the ascent and descent of the Citadel of Namur for the photo shoot. Of course, the weight requires serious, thus firm damping. A small stretch of the subtly undulating Brussels Ring set the car oscillating for a few seconds. These annoying vibrations soon disappeared. But on this stretch, we've experienced so much less comfort before that the Renault 5 E-Tech can be congratulated for its performance. Classy, muscular and elegant at the same time, it can go from 0 to 100km/h in 8 seconds without being aggressive. An acceleration from which 4 adult passengers travelling light can benefit. At the front, it's luxurious. At the back, passengers will have to give up on stretching their legs. Especially if the driver is De Gaulle's height.

The prices

This pretty 150 hp car produced in France costs nearly €32,900 in Belgium. The 120 hp version with a 40 kWh battery starts at €27,900 in Belgium. As for the Renault 5 E-Tech Iconic Five tested here, with all its options, it costs €34,900. In France, it costs €35,590. In Switzerland, the 'Iconic Five' equipped like the one in the images will cost you CHF 36,000. Being aware of the limitations of an electric city car, the Renault 5 E-Tech 150 hp with the 52 kWh battery is capable of fulfilling daily tasks between home charges (at 11 kW). Excursions can be allowed. And even tow a small trailer weighing 600 ]kg!

(MH with Duquesne – Source: Renault – Pictures: © Olivier Duquesne)