2025 Renault 5 E-Tech revealed: Reborn EV city car matches leading-edge efficiency, technology and safety with ultra-cool retro-futurist design and potential price to challenge BYD Seal, GWM Ora and MG4

Just over 50 years since the original Renault 5 turned the global small car market on its head, the pure-electric Renault 5 E-Tech appears set to cause similar disruption.

Revealed overnight at the Geneva motor show, the new city-sized hatch matches the French maker’s latest EV technology with super-cool retro-futuristic design and a compelling entry-price point.

Projected Euro pricing, staring at “around €25,000”, translates to just under $41,500 on a straight currency conversion, meaning (depending on local specification) the car has the potential to compete with higher grades of established small EV players like the BYD Seal, GWM Ora and MG4, not to mention undercutting fellow Euros like the Cupra Born and Fiat 500e.

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Underpinned by Renault’s all-new ‘AmpR Small’ platform, developed by the brand’s specialist electric Ampere subsidiary, the new 5 is 3920mm long, 1770mm wide and 1500mm tall with a 2540mm wheelbase.

That’s smaller than the already compact Curpa Born but a bit longer and wider than the diminutive three-door Fiat 500e. 

The new Renault 5 is powered by a single ‘wound rotor synchronous’ electric motor sending (depending on grade) 70, 90 or 110kW to the front wheels only.

Renault says this type of motor uses the feeding in of electric power to induce the rotor rather than magnets, avoiding the use of rare earth elements in its construction. 

The car boasts an 11kW onboard AC charger and the choice of 80 or 100kW DC charge capacity, the up to 52kWh battery giving it a range of up to 400km (WLTP). 

That’s smaller than the already compact Curpa Born but a bit longer and wider than the diminutive three-door Fiat 500e.

Worth noting the AC charger is bi-directional meaning it’s compatible with V2L (vehicle-to-load) and V2G (vehicle-to-grid) technologies. And weighing in at less than 1500kg, the Renault 5 E-Tech will even tow an up to 500kg trailer.

It boasts a 326-litre boot with all seats up and some interesting multimedia tech, including a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen.

The ‘OpenR Link’ system features Google built-in and over 50 apps while the graphic and sound welcome sequence was “developed in collaboration with the Ircam institute of Music and Sound and (renowned artist and composer) Jean-Michel Jarre”. 

Renault also claims the 5 E-Tech will achieve an overall level of recyclability of 85 per cent, incorporating 19.4 per cent of recycled materials and 26.6 per cent of materials recovered from the circular economy, including 41 kg of recycled polymers.

It boasts some interesting multimedia tech, including a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen.

In terms of local availability for the new model, Renault Australia General Manager Glen Sealey recently told CarsGuide, “we still need to take the next step, and that is to do the business case to get the investment for the unique Australian ADRs".

“And then make sure it ticks the box for our own Renault (Australia) business, and most importantly the customers.

“We would love to have that car here. It’s still in business case, but it’s yet to get into production. Once it’s in production it becomes an earnest discussion for us,” he said.

The new 5 E-Tech will be produced at Renault’s Douai plant in Northern France (one of the assembly sites for the original 5) with ramp-up beginning in mid-2025.