Credit where it is Due, former Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, the man who was later smuggled out of Japan in a double bass case—was quick to identify electrification as the key Paradigm change in the automobile industry of the 21st century. Cue the cute Renault Zoe, forward-thinking in terms of design and propulsion, but perhaps too distant to capture hearts and minds.
The new Renault 5 EV has an unashamedly nostalgic look, tapping into a design trend that’s been around for so long that retro is almost retro. However, when you see it in person for the first time, resistance is futile. Here, surely, is the electric car that will overturn any lingering preconceptions, a surprisingly sophisticated conduit for all-around wellness vibes that’s packed with big-car tech.
The current boss of Renault, Luca de Meo, is certainly optimistic. “Some products are magical,” he notes. “It is not necessary to have endless discussions, everyone always agrees on what needs to be done. And they do it. There is no inertia.”
Courtesy of Renault
As one of the masterminds of the Fiat 500 revival of the 2000s, De Meo has solid instincts on this subject. Even if you’d never driven one, you knew what the classic was. Cinquecento represented. The same applies to the Renault 5: You arrived in a world in the early 1970s where the Middle East was in turmoil, energy was suddenly in short supply, and conspicuous consumption was unfashionable. Context matters and this one has an eerily familiar feel.
Design hints
The new R5 aims to brighten your day through its sweet colors and an exterior and interior design that provokes a Proustian feeling executed by experts. The silhouette may look familiar, but the new car has fuller proportions and imaginative postmodern touches galore.
There’s a bold little four-corner graphic on the headlights that “flashes” as you approach. The fog lights underneath mimic that motif, while the vertical taillights are another echo of the original. They are now designed for a degree of aerodynamic efficiency that would have stunned Renault engineers in their day.
The thick wheel arches are reminiscent of the central engine. r5 rally carand the new car’s roof can be purchased with a variety of treatments. It’s a five-door car, but the rear door handles are cleverly hidden. And the hood vent of the old car reappears here as an indicator of the state of charge. Each strip represents 20 percent of the available energy.