New fully-electric Renault 5 E-Tech is a welcome blast from the past and will be a massive hit
It looks simply incredible, especially in this fetching Pop Yellow colour, and it features loads of design cues from the original Renault 5.
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CHARGE TIMES: Rapid DC charging from 15-80 per cent takes the Renault 5 around 35 mins or up to 9 hours using a 7kW home charger
Credit: RENAULT
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BLAST FROM THE PAST: What was an air vent on the old Renault 5 turbo has now been turned into an LED battery level indicator
Credit: Renault
Such a welcome blast of nostalgia and unlike some manufacturers, yes Ford I'm looking at you, who have revived old models but created a version that bears very little resemblance to the car it's replacing.
Renault have had the good sense to take everything that was good about the old model and re-imagine how it would be if made in the future.
Pop princess Dua Lipa, who has a famous album called Future Nostalgia, has hits including the songs Electricity and Blow Your Mind, so I think Renault missed a trick not enlisting her to launch its new EV hatch.
Yes, the new Renault 5 is fully electric, unlike the petrol-powered hatchback from the 70, 80s and 90s.
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Key Facts:
Renault 5 E-Tech
Cost: From €25,995
Engine: 110kW electric motor
Power: 150hp
Torque: 245Nm
0-100kph: 8 seconds
Top Speed: 150kph
Battery: 52kWh lithium-ion
Range: 410km
Real world range: 356km
Rivals: Peugeot E-208,
MG4, Smart #1, Nissan Leaf
But small electric cars are actually the sweet spot for an EV, not massive, super heavy, all-wheel drive SUVs.
The new Renault 5 does tip the scales at 1,524kg, but that's not heavy for an EV, and it never feels overweight to drive.
There are two battery sizes, 44kWh paired with a 120bhp electric motor and a 55kWh that I'm testing, which comes with a 150bhp motor.
It's not crazy quick, 0-100kph takes eight seconds dead with a top speed of 150kph.
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But compare that to the 1.4-litre Renault 5 GT Turbo that produced 118bhp with a 0-100kph time of 7.5secs and it's not far off the iconic hot-hatch.
And if that's not hot enough for you then Alpine is bringing out its version of the Renault 5 called the A290 — and its packing a 220bhp punch.
But if you want supercar performance from a Renault 5 then the rear-wheel drive RS Turbo 3E that's built to drift is the one for you. It will produce 540bhp and 4,800Nm of torque and is rumoured to cost €150k.
But back to the 5 E-Tech and as it has a wheel at every corner with short overhangs front and rear, it's really agile and handles like it's on rails.
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BOOT SIZE: Its boot is 326 litres and that rises to 1,106 litres with the rear seats down
Credit: Jed Leicester
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RETRO CABIN: Loads of hints to the old Renault 5 like the old-school graphics, logos and fabrics
Credit: Renault
There's virtually no body roll, the suspension is reasonably firm so the ride is more sporty than soft, but will still absorb bumps and road imperfections.
Inside the 5 E-Tech's interior is another treat with lots of yellow trim and fabric and retro logos and graphics.
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Then amazing figure—hugging seats, heated of course and not dissimilar to the original Renault 5 Turbo seats.
The dash layout is brilliant with a series of toggle switches for the climate and dual screens, one for the driver and a central touchscreen infotainment system that runs Google operating system.
There's four driving modes and everything changes to different colours with Sport turning red, and Sport mode really livens up the performance.
But in contrast, Eco mode totally stunts the power output.
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Its boot is 326 litres and that rises to 1,106 litres with the rear seats folded down.
It has a real-world range of 356km, fast charging from 15-80% takes 35mins or it's nine hours using a 7kW wallbox.
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Alpine A290 image bank media Test-Drive, from October 25 to 27th 2024 at Mallorca, Spain - Photo Yannick Brossard / DPPI
Credit: Alpine
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RENAULT TURBO 3E: Crazy rear-wheel drive Turbo 3E is built to drift, it's dual in-wheel electric motors produce 540bhp and a crazy 4,800Nm of torque and it's made from aluminum with loads of cabon fibre parts
Credit: Renault
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