MOTORING REVIEW: High Fives for the new Renault 5

RENAULT has tapped into the current popular retro trend by reinventing its original Renault 5 compact car with a new 5 electric car designed for modern city driving, competitively priced at just under €26k, and with a decent electric range of up to 410 km. 

The original petrol-powered model, produced between 1972 and 1996, was quite a chic little hatchback that mainly appealed to younger buyers but sold around nine million units over its two generations. 

This new ‘5’ is light years ahead of that earlier version in design and spec, the main difference being that it is an all-electric vehicle. The new car has clocked up over 290 sales since launch in late March, with 70 snapped up sight-unseen by previous Renault 5 owners. Now with five doors, this stunning reinvention is targeted at a new generation of young buyers.  

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The Pop Yellow exterior of my review car never failed to put a smile on my face every morning, no matter the weather. Features were a black roof with a narrow red roof line, black side mirrors, unusually shaped LED headlights, big black wheel arches and rear privacy glass. A battery monitor high up on the bonnet shows the level your battery is charged to; the charging port is on the front left side of the car. Eighteen-inch wheels reach out to the corners, giving the vehicle a sporty and solid stance. At the rear, the traditional brake lights climb upwards, and there's a rear wiper.

The cabin is well designed with nice fit and finish, but the bright interior colours in my review car would not be my choice. My figure-hugging driver’s seat had manual adjustments, and the number 5 appears on the seat backs. A Winter Pack included heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The dash layout is really good, dominated by a large padded area of artificial leather on the passenger side, a large curved screen with a 10.1-inch central infotainment screen with Google’s OpenR Link built in, and an equally big digital driver’s cluster. A row of toggle switches below was for climate control, air conditioning and fan. 

The transmission selector is on the right of the steering column, but annoyingly doesn’t include a Park setting. A circular satellite knob is for driving mode selections of Eco, Comfort and Sport. There’s also a Perso, or Personalised, mode for custom settings and a B (Brake) mode for stronger regenerative braking to help recharge the battery. I always use this Perso mode in both Renault and Dacia press cars as it allows me to turn off road sign recognition and lane departure warning alerts that really annoy. You get two C-type USB ports, a 12V power socket and a wireless phone charging pad. 

Rear headroom for tall people is quite tight, as is foot space under the front seats, but there’s a flat floor. No charging ports here for devices, though, and no rear seat armrest. The foldable rear bench can split 60/40, and the boot size of 326 litres can extend to 1106 litres with rear seats folded down. There’s just a tyre compressor kit for punctures.

Features included a rear parking sensor and a very good rear-view camera, but no blind spot monitors, which I believe should come as standard in every car.  

The entry-level car's 40kWh battery, paired with a 120bhp electric motor, delivers a claimed range of up to 310 km WLTP. Three trims are offered: Evolution, Techno or Iconic. The more powerful 52kWh battery is available in the two upper grades, paired with a 150bhp electric motor with a driving range of up to 410 km. When I recharged, 390 km was indicated at full charge. With DC fast charging, you can top up the car from 15% to 80% in half an hour. Charging with a 7kW wallbox will take nine hours. 

The car’s new 11 kW AC bi-directional charger features V2L (vehicle-to-load) capacity, allowing you to power a 220 V appliance from your car’s battery with a simple adapter. This charger is fitted as standard on all versions. 

Designed for city streets, the new ‘5’ has a tight turning circle of 10.5m, and can park in a small space. You sit low in this little beauty, which adds to the sporty feel and makes you feel more connected to the car, and it is a lot of fun to drive. The suspension is good, the car handles well and comes nicely balanced. Acceleration time from 0-100km/h is 8.0 secs, which is peppy enough for a city car. 

This new Renault 5 EV is built on the company's new AmpR small platform at Renault’s plant in Douai, France, a dedicated electric vehicle platform designed to underpin future models in the segment. The car has been awarded a 4-star Euro NCAP safety rating, excelling in pedestrian protection and advanced safety systems, but had some areas for improvement. 

The model was voted European Car of the Year 2025 by international journalists.

My car is priced from €32,995; with metallic paint from €33,820 (prices include SEAI grant). Annual road tax is €120.