It was promised that the R5, whose marketing has just begun, would gather dust in a basement of the Renault Technocentre, in Guyancourt (Yvelines). Ignored by the former management, this exercise in neo-retro style caught the attention of Luca De Meo, who came at the beginning of July 2020 to discover the past and future projects of the manufacturer which he had officially taken over the day before. . . The Italian leader, who a few years earlier had taken the new Fiat 500 to the baptismal font, suspected that an electric car reincarnation of the former diamond star, born in 1972 and produced in nine million examples, could be successful.
Four years have passed and the new R5 is ready. At Renault no one doubts its success. Designed against use – it was necessary to create a platform to adapt to the style while it is always the design that must fit the architecture of a vehicle – it retained the balance of proportions and the very seventies impudence of the prototype brought from oblivion by the boss . We don’t know if this beautiful car with rounded shapes will become a bestseller, but it seems well bred.
The most striking expression of “Rebirth”A great reconquest project in which the French manufacturer participates, the mission of the R5 is to restore the shine to the brand in its favorite field, that of small cars. A specialty in which Renault has barely shone since the first Twingo, which will not make anyone younger.
no miracle
The R5 also plays on another crucial aspect: the substantial expansion of the electric customer base. Renault does not provide quantified objectives, but this car produced at the Douai (North) factory is not a niche model. he must “create volume”. In its square and rounded shapes, characteristics of the original model, and in its tones “pop” Somewhat forced, the R5 marks a break with the coldness that too often characterizes the aesthetics of contemporary models, both electric and thermal. Its five seats contained in a limited size (3.92 meters long, sixteen centimeters less than a Zoé) do not make it a family car: this will rather be the mission of the electric R4 presented at the World Cup.
Depending on the version, we can consider a multipurpose or mainly peri-urban use. Two batteries are offered. One with a capacity of 52 kWh for a maximum range of 410 km and a power of 150 HP. The other reaches 40 kWh (312 km) for 120 HP. The R5, whose weight (1,450 kg maximum) remains reasonable, has calibrated its connections to the ground, its steering and its engine (120 or 150 HP depending on the version) so that you want to sit behind the wheel. Mission accomplished because in addition to being pretty, the car is responsive and comfortable. The interior would have deserved a less classic presentation, in harmony with the exterior appearance.
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