Renault 5 Prototype EV - 'Renaulution' Strategy Plan

[Theufcveteran]

Thanks to someone being sneaky, the final design has been revealed a few days early:
View attachment 1330902
View attachment 1330903
View attachment 1330904

I've got to say this is the most I've liked the design of an electric car in this segment since the Honda E... And this one is expected to have decent range for a change!

That looks fantastic, love to see the classic style brought to a new era. The new Countach I really quite liked as well, but love that this also keeps a lot of the old styling.

 

[Neddo]

I hope that one day R21 gets revived like this too.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

Was looking forward to the unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show for this car, now no need to wait. Interior looks like just a cheaper version of the Megane, was hoping it would a new generation looking more space-age. Maybe for the A290 they can do something extra for it. Anyway, it will be a huge step up over the ZOE so can see it selling extremely well if priced competitively.

 

[05XR8]

Fabric seats for the win.

 

[-Fred-]

Stop sticking iPads on dashboards ffs.

 

[05XR8]

I was going to comment about the screen and say it should flip up and down like a laptop. I guess design teams trial and error all types of ideas.

 

[Hayden]

I was going to comment about the screen and say it should flip up and down like a laptop. I guess design teams trial and error all types of ideas.

Bring back the foldout/flipup head units of the early 2000s. I’m sure Alpine (the other one) still has technical drawings for these bad boys somewhere.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Love it. If I do ever move to electric in the near future, it'd probably be between this or the Honda e, though this does the retraux styling thing way better. 5 Turbo widebody version when?

 

[Tornado]

The Honda E is still better looking, but I must admit it's not a lot better looking to justify it's trash range.

 

[Keef]

The Honda E is still better looking, but I must admit it's not a lot better looking to justify it's trash range.

The E would've been better as a PHEV. Almost all these small Euro-centric cars would be better as PHEVs. Slap a kei car engine in there and create a Prius, can't be that hard.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Bring back the foldout/flipup head units of the early 2000s. I’m sure Alpine (the other one) still has technical drawings for these bad boys somewhere.

View attachment 1331762

winces in warranty claims adjuster

This thing looks great. I do love PHEVs but I'm gonna disagree with @Keef on this one, city cars are a good fit for being BEV. Though, as best as I can tell, this one will still have a pretty hearty 50+kwh battery with like 250 miles of range....which will likely never be needed by anyone who actually uses these as city cars.

I think we need some kind of Kei car like regulation. City cars with maximum ~25kwh batteries get the biggest tax incentives and monstrosities like the Cybertruck and Hummer EV get tax penalties. Capping the battery size at 25kwh would incentivize using resources more efficiently and creatively and stop the girth-out of just putting the biggest ****ing battery that fits between the front and rear wheels and calling it a day.

 

[Neddo]

Hopefully there will be Baccara version. That was lovely.

 

[GranTurNismo]

They really killed it with the design here. Not just the exterior, but the interior is quite stylish and competitive for its price point. I hope Renault have their production lines well oiled, because this is undoubtedly going to sell in big numbers.

The 5 is was perhaps the best choice for doing a retro vehicle as an EV. It's a practical size and shape (that the new one is bigger than the original is also true of the Mini and 500e), and the first-generation was a smash hit in Europe. An genuinely affordable EV- assuming Renault is in the ballpark of its $25k price tag- with decent enough range and good looks is exactly what the market is hungry for.

 

[Keef]

This thing's interior looks extremely tight.

 

[Tornado]

winces in warranty claims adjuster

I mean realistically if you hit anything with a modern subcompact car where it breaks the headlight the insurance company will probably make you throw it away anyway.

 

[Neddo]

first-generation was a smash hit in Europe

2nd was even more successful. I think it sold 6 million copies

 

[ProjectWHaT]

For the sake of completion, I'll just post this here too even though a new thread was made

https://www.motor1.com/news/723128/alpine-a290-debut-specs/

A290 officially revealed

Compared to the resurrected R5, the more athletic derivative is nearly two inches wider and has larger 19-inch wheels as standard. This is still a diminutive EV, at just 157.0 inches long, 71.6 inches wide, and 59.8 inches tall. It’s slightly longer and lower than the donor car while having a 2.3-inch wider track. For an electric car, it’s relatively lightweight, tipping the scales at 3,260 pounds.

Much like the Abarth 500e, the new Alpine A290 is a front-wheel-drive affair. The other electric hot hatches we mentioned earlier send power to either the rear wheels or to both axles. Alpine sticks to a single motor mounted at the front and offers the hardware in two states of tune. The base and GT Premium trims make do with 174 horsepower. Step up to the GT Performance or the GTS and the e-motor is dialed to 215 hp. With 221 pound-feet of instant torque, the feisty EV hits 62 mph in 6.4 seconds.

Echoing the regular Renault 5, the A290 has a multi-link independent rear suspension, which is quite rare in this segment. Alpine tries to make the car more agile by mounting bespoke anti-roll bars at the front and rear. The niche brand worked with Michelin to develop three model-specific tires: Pilot Sport EV for the summer, Pilot Sport S5 for wet and dry roads, and Pilot Alpin 5 for cold weather as well as for wet, and snowy roads.

Consistent performance is touted, without any power loss even if you’re running low on battery. The Alpine A290 will be sold exclusively with a 52.0-kilowatt-hour pack offering enough juice for an estimated 236 miles of range. With support for DC charging at 100 kilowatts, it takes half an hour to “fill up” the battery from 15 to 80 percent. If you're in a hurry, spending 15 minutes at a charging station will be enough for about 93 miles of range.

Alpine isn't disclosing pricing details. We reckon it commands a significant premium over the standard Renault 5, which starts at €33,490 ($36,200) at home in France. The A290 sadly won't come to the United States in 2026 when the brand launches here. Instead, we're getting an electric replacement of the A110 coupe, with a convertible to boot. An SUV will follow in 2027, joined by a swoopy sedan a year later.

 

[05XR8]

Would love to see a manufacturer go back to 15” wheels and tyres with new cars.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

It seems like the Renault 5 will be launching soon as there's been a lot of people spotting them all over Europe

Retro Renault 5 lands in the UK at last! | Autocar

Sub-£25k electric supermini is poised to go up against the Mini Cooper E and Fiat 500e

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[Keef]

What a pretty car. Honestly love this thing and would consider getting one in the US.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'm guessing this car is a lot bigger than it looks.

 

[FT-1]

I'm guessing this car is a lot bigger than it looks.

Not sure what your expectations were, but it is less than 4 metres long, so there is no mistaking it for anything other than a B-segment vehicle. It's shorter and narrower than a Clio (until you factor in the side mirrors), while just being a bit taller:

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Yeah that's several feet shorter than the similarly-proportioned Ionic-5. Glad somebody is actually trying to make small cars that look small...which still makes all the sense in the world in Europe.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

It's Up sized

 

[05XR8]

I’ve always appreciated VW for making the Up!
I know today’s cars are working with rolling resistance and aerodynamics with big diameter wheels and tyres, but slap on some deep dish 15s and drop it just a bit to 2005 MINI height.

 

[Keef]

Looks a fair bit bigger than the Up but not sure it's as big as a Polo. I've never seen any of them in person though so can't really compare.

 

[TheCracker]

Looks a fair bit bigger than the Up but not sure it's as big as a Polo. I've never seen any of them in person though so can't really compare.

The VW Up! is roughly the same size/proportions as the Fiat 500 for comparisons sake.

The R5 is similar in proportions to the almost current (F55) Mini. If that helps.

Smaller than the current Clio, which is what took the place of the original R5, but then they do appear big when you see them on the road.

 

[Keef]

The VW Up! is roughly the same size/proportions as the Fiat 500 for comparisons sake.

The R5 is similar in proportions to the almost current (F55) Mini. If that helps.

Smaller than the current Clio, which is what took the place of the original R5, but then they do appear big when you see them on the road.

Yeah that makes more sense. The Fiat 500 is still an incredibly small car on US roads, basically the smallest there is besides Smarts. I assume you're referring to the F55 Mini 2-door and not the 4-door. If so, then Renault sandwiching four doors into that package is both impressive and tiny. The 4-door F55 Mini has strange proportions which the Renault doesn't seem to have.

That's a damn small car, but frankly the Mini doesn't really have any competition. Maybe people are cross-shopping the Mazda 3, but no other car has the combination of cutesy size and European cachet that the Mini has. And frankly this is much more attractive, though hopefully it has a better reputation for reliability than the Minis do over here.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Renault 4, on the same Ampere architecture as the 5

 

[05XR8]

When I was young in my neighbourhood we would see old sneakers on the front bumpers. Someone could make a mint with stylising those replacement bumpers.