After three years of development, Renault revealed a production-spec electric reworking of its 1970s urban runabout back in December. Now the 2025 Renault 5 E-Tech has taken to Geneva, with a launch date revealed for later this year.
"Back in the 1970s, Renault 5 helped the company to bounce back from the oil shock and make a successful transition to energy frugality," said company CEO, Luca de Meo. "At the time, people were afraid that oil would disappear or, at least that it would become scarce and therefore very expensive. Some fifty years later, new Renault 5 is set to become the symbol of another bounceback, one that will take Renault into the select club of electric champions."
Details and specs were in short supply when the vehicle was teased in December, but the Geneva Motor Show premiere has filled in most of the blanks. The Renault 5 E-Tech is the first in a new range of small EVs built around an original AmpR Small platform developed by the company's Ampere wing.
It measures 3.92 m (12.8 ft) in length, stands 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall and squats 1.77 m (5.8 ft) wide. Its suspension to the front has been optimized for a tight turning circle of 10.3 m (33.8 ft), while the multi-link rear suspension "formerly reserved for vehicles further up the market" promises improved dynamics and "a level of roadholding and performance formerly unknown in this segment."
The weight of the electric city car depends on the battery pack selected by the owner: a 40-kWh version offers up to 300 km (186 miles) of WLTP range per charge and results in an overall weight of 1,350 kg (~2,976 lb), while the 400-km (248.5-mile) 52-kWh version comes in 100 kilos heavier.
Three motor options are available too, at 70 kW (95 bhp), 90 kW (120 bhp) and 110 kW (150 bhp) – each based around wound rotor synchronous technology that does away with the need for rare-earth materials. The top spec model produces 245 Nm (180 lb.ft) of torque, has a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and will zip from standstill to 100 km/h in under 8 seconds. Renault reckons that the vehicle is also capable of towing a trailer weighing up to 500 kg (1,100 lb).
The 90-kW and 110-kW flavors also come with a new 11-kW AC bidirectional charger that works with vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid technologies. And the 5 E-Tech includes a bunch of driving aids as well, including intelligent adaptive cruise control, driver assist, Level 2 automated driving tech, dynamic braking and safety prompts.
The outer form has been designed as a retro-future nod to the "mischievous style" of the original model and rolls with head-turning color options, cheeky "pupil-shaped" headlights, and a reworked hood vent grille that's now a charge indicator that lights up as the driver approaches.
Renault boasts that the welcome theme inside has been created in collaboration with electronic music icon Jean-Michel Jarre, who is responsible for the sonic moodscapes as well as the low-speed external sounds, and the Ircam Institute of Music and Sound. There's a 10.1-inch infotainment screen in the center of the dash, and the driver can tap into the company's latest OpenR Link system with Google cooked in, sporting more than 50 apps and services, as well as a new voice assistant named Reno.
The "ingenious, connected, competitive electric city car" is due for official European launch in September, starting at €25,000 (which converts to a little over US$27k). You can see the Renault 5 E-Tech take the stage in the video below.
Source: Renault
