Renault is reconnecting with its glorious past. The diamond brand will rely on an icon: the R5 to enrich its electric range in early 2024. But to satisfy the impatient, the transition from the Renault 5 Prototype to the production version will be smooth. Find out how the brand will do it
Chronicle of a star announced. Embodying the Renaulution started on January 14, the Renault 5 Prototype is the asset of Luca de Meo, the new boss of Renault.
A good sketch is better than a long speech said Napoleon Bonaparte. In this case, this image speaks for itself, the filiation between the R5 of 1972 and the Renault 5 Prototype of 2021 is obvious.
The crisp electric city car, which like a Fiat 500 – a success story also initiated by the Italian leader of the French brand – happily combines the past and the future of the diamond, pleases. Proof, if it was needed, the public gathered around the yellow concept car, during its first walkabout, on the Renault stand at the Munich Motor Show. The Renault 5 of the 21e century should attract many concession customers. Moreover, the network regrets that the city-dweller does not arrive before in their business because the craze is felt. While waiting for the launch in early 2024, we must occupy the ground.
TO READ. Munich Motor Show 2021. The R5 star of the Renault stand!
A step-by-step evolution
In order to continue to ride the media wave, Renault plans to mark the period with a series of concepts gradually approaching the production version. A kind of skilfully orchestrated saga that will show you, step by step, a little more of this future star. The offensive will begin in 2022. As the saying goes, it is necessary to beat the iron while it is still hot, to keep the customers in suspense without them becoming impatient and ending up in the arms of the competition. Renault does not lose sight of the chic Fiat 500 and Honda e, both already available for sale, nor its compatriot Peugeot e-208, which will be its closest rival even if it does not evoke a Peugeot of the past.
Because this chic and benevolent nostalgia that naturally emanates from the Renault 5 Prototype has no other goal than to reassure the customer so that he offloads his wallet a little more and accepts prices closer to € 25,000-30,000, at the top of the range, than the entry ticket of € 20,000 recently announced by Gilles Le Borgne, Renault’s director of engineering. In addition, so that the future buyer does not jump into the unknown and can already organize his future trips, Mr. Le Borgne mentioned part of the technical sheet. We can expect a range of 400 km for the upscale large battery version (52 kWh) and necessarily less for the access version, the one at € 20,000, with a 42 kWh accumulator.
What style for the future Renault 5 series?
Another question that torments us, will the very fitting dress of the Renault 5 Prototype be kept on the production version? We went directly to inquire at the source with another Gilles – Gilles Vidal, the Renault style boss – who told us that the style of the future Renault 5 production was now fixed and that it would remain faithful to 96 or 97% to that of the prototype. Excellent news !
““The exterior styling of the future production Renault 5 is now fixed and will remain 96 or 97% faithful to that of the prototype” (Gilles Vidal)“
A little leeway so that, among other things, engineers and designers reduce the size of the wheels a little on entry-level versions, bring the optics into conformity with the standards in force and take into account the cost of use (TCO) by designing body parts – in particular the shields – which are the simplest and the most economical to repair.
TO READ. Renault 5 Prototype. Hints in the headlights!
Apart from a transparent slat, as instrumentation, the Renault 5 Prototype has so far left nothing filtered from its on-board furniture.
Regarding the interior, it is still under construction. Gilles Vidal promised us a nice surprise and a wow effect. Recall that the R5 Prototype concept car produced in an ultra short time did not have any living space to show, the model was what those skilled in the art call in their jargon a semi-hollow, devoid of furniture. Will we rediscover the Vasarely spirit suggested by Laurens van den Acker, subtly combining a seventies and high-tech spirit on a large touch screen? We will have the answer in 2022.
TO READ. Renault 5 Prototype. Behind the scenes of the genesis of the project
An evocation of the R5 Turbo at Alpine?
In addition, the Alpine brand which had, at first, muddied the waters by declaring that the “small” model of the future Alpine electric range would not be an improved Renault 5, seems to be backtracking. A recent teaser shows that Alpine will also benefit from the aura of the Renault 5. A variation that should undoubtedly be inspired by the legendary R5 Turbo with wide fenders, a generous spoiler, big wheels and above all more watts under the hood! Namely the 220 hp engine of the Mégane E-Tech Electric.
TO READ. Alpine electric city car (2024). A sporty R5 with more than 200 hp?
Some did not wait for the arrival of the Alpine to take inspiration from the R5 Turbo, as the beautiful Renault 5 Turbo 3 Restomod attests. Under any label whatsoever, the future R5 has definitely not finished talking about it!
