Renault, ranked 60 on the Fortune 500 Europe, was one of the earliest entrants to the EV market with the Zoe. But it failed to keep up the pressure when the new wave of electric models arrived from 2020 onwards. Now, however, Renault has rediscovered its mojo for the battery-powered future of the automotive industry – by looking back towards the icons of its past. Could this be the antidote to growing challenges for European automakers?
Renault caused considerable excitement when it unveiled the concept for the new electric Renault 5 in 2021. Few at the time were convinced that it would see the light of day at all. Or they thought it would arrive in a much tamer form as so many concepts do. But the car that has been launched onto the European market this year looks almost exactly like the concept.
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Renault's rank on the Fortune 500 Europe
For those less well-versed in automotive history, the Renault 5 was a popular hatchback launched in the early 1970s. It was France’s best-selling car until 1986, shifting 5.5 million units. A familiar sight on European roads for two decades, the Renault 5 combined affordability, economy, and practicality. It was one of the first superminis, predating the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta.
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Renault's rank on the Fortune Global 500.
In the U.S., after an abortive start, the Renault 5 was renamed the Le Car, which improved sales a bit. But it was never the success in the United States that it had been in Europe. There were some “hot” versions, too, such as the Renault 5 Turbo and Gordini. However, by the late-1980s the Renault 5 was starting to show its age, so the Clio arrived to replace it.
Renault 5 E-Tech: The Past Reimagined
Now the Renault 5 is back. However, while the new electric Renault 5 E-Tech shares the affordability ethos of its predecessor, it doesn’t look anything like it, beyond being a hatchback. Visibly, its appearance is more like the Clio. It has five doors, with the rear ones hidden in a similar fashion to the Zoe, so the 5 E-Tech has the looks of a three-door without the loss in rear-seat accessibility for passengers. Space is still not extensive in the back, but it will fit the bill perfectly for a young family.
The Renault 5 E-Tech is essentially a replacement for the Zoe, although its drivetrain doesn’t significantly progress beyond the most recent versions of the latter. There are 40 or 52kWh battery packs, with electric range up to 250 miles. Motor power options will range from 119bhp to 148bhp. There will also be a “hot” Alpine-branded A290 derivative of the Renault 5 E-Tech with up to 223bhp.
However, while the Renault 5 E-Tech replaces the Zoe, it also undercuts it in price. This is thanks to a reported reduction in production costs compared to the previous car due to sharing components with the Renault Clio. In the UK, the 5 E-Tech has a starting price of £22,995 ($29,000), which makes it even cheaper than the successful MG4. The forthcoming Vauxhall Frontera (Opel Frontera in Europe) and Hyundai Inster are also more expensive.
The Renault 5 E-Tech indicates how incumbent automakers are realizing, at last, that affordable EVs are essential to take electrification to the masses. Sadly, for the foreseeable future, Renault has no plans to launch the car in the USA. So we won’t be seeing an electric Le Car successor heading across the Atlantic.
Electric Renault 4: Back To The Future Again
But Renault hasn’t stopped its future-backwards motion with the 5 E-Tech. More recently, the company has resuscitated the 4. This was always a more utilitarian and budget-oriented car than the 5, and dates back even further than the latter. The 4 hit the market in 1961, and some of its parts were reused in the 5. It was the first mass-produced hatchback car, and over eight million Renault 4s were sold during its lifetime.
The reimagined electric Renault 4 has a bit more physical resemblance to its classic predecessor than the 5 E-Tech. But it’s also a crossover SUV, so still takes on board contemporary automotive trends and consumer tastes rather than simply electrifying an old design. It evokes fondness for the past but with a modern powertrain and technology underneath.
Renault hopes to take this even further with its revival of the Twingo in electric form. This is a more recent car, produced until 2014. However, the new electric version won’t continue where the Twingo left off. Styling will hark back to the original car’s appearance, with semicircular headlights and a stubby front. Again, the design plays on our vehicular nostalgia.
Renault’s retro strategy isn’t unique, however. Hyundai has also singled out its EVs from the crowd by giving them Back to the Future appeal. The IONIQ 5 has a 1980s vibe about it (with some cruelly likening its appearance to the British Austin Maestro) and the IONIQ 6 evokes an even earlier era when cars were trying to look like airplanes. MG’s Cyberster may have little in common in styling with the classic roadsters of the brand’s past, but as the first electric soft top, it has played upon the company’s illustrious history.
The evocation of the past is clearly meant to be an antidote to the growing homogeneity of EVs, and cars in general. When so many vehicles are designed for aerodynamics using software that optimizes their drag coefficient, it’s no surprise that so many end up looking the same. The well-healed have combated this with EV classic car conversions, a small but popular and lucrative niche. Would you love to drive an E-Type Jaguar or DeLorean DMC-12 every day, but with modern electric reliability and efficiency? There are companies such as Electrogenic or Electric Classic Cars in the UK who can deliver that for you.
This is not Renault’s stance, however. The company is allying its retro styling with improved mass-market appeal. The electric Twingo is reportedly targeting an even more affordable base price of £17,000 ($22,000). It’s a relief to see more affordable EV options coming from European automakers. Even as both the EU and US protect themselves from Chinese imports with tariffs, this can only be a temporary solution. The true answer is to provide EVs the mainstream consumer both wants and can afford to own. Rekindling popular brands from the past helps with the former, and with the Renault 5 E-Tech, the electric premium has been considerably reduced.
Jaguar has controversially gone in the other direction with its electrified rebrand. The company has ditched most of its heritage in an attempt to shift its image significantly upmarket. Only time will tell whether this works for Jaguar, but if the reception the Renault 5 has had is anything to go by, there is plenty of mileage to be had from revisiting fondly remembered models rather than sweeping them aside. After all, while cars primarily move us from A to B, we still want to enjoy the journey.
