Only last week Renault teased the production-ready 5 E-Tech, and now the entire car has leaked. Patent images published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) show the subcompact model in its full retro-modern glory. This attractive EV will replace the Zoe, and better yet, Renault’s performance division Alpine will use this as the basis for an electric hot hatch.
The Renault 5 E-Tech shows off the charge indicator light on the hood we saw in the teaser, and there are two charging ports: One on the left front fender and one on the right front fender. Even the wheel design has been largely carried over from the concept, although the alloys seem a smidge smaller.
Compared to the concept, the production R5 loses the rear light bar to make way for a black trim piece. It has bigger side mirrors and traditional front door handles instead of the flush ones we saw on the show car. Mounted on the C-pillar, the handle for the rear doors is bigger now. The black roof and red accents indicate we’re looking at a high-end version of the small EV.
It is worth noting the third-generation Renault 5 will be electric-only but it won’t ride on a dedicated EV platform. The new hatch will use the Clio‘s underpinnings and source as much as 70 percent of the hardware to slash production costs. The platform has been dubbed AmpR Small (formerly CMF-B EV). Unusual for a B-segment car, it’s going to have a multi-link rear suspension, which should translate into sharper handling.
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Initially, the Renault 5 E-Tech will be sold strictly with a 52.0-kilowatt-hour battery good for 249 miles (400 kilometers) of range per WLTP. A cheaper variant with a 40.0-kWh pack and a shorter range will be added later in the life cycle. These batteries will benefit from a higher energy density compared to the Zoe. The new EV is going to be smaller, at just 154.3 inches (3.92 meters) long.
As for pricing, the company with the diamond logo says it’s going to charge (pun intended) about €25,000. At current exchange rates, that works out to about $27,000. The world premiere of the Renault 5 E-Tech is locked in for February 26 at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show.
