Original Renault R5 or new Renault 5?
They say nostalgia is not what it used to be, but they are wrong. At least when it comes to retro cars. We all remember the great old (add car model here) my dad owned and how we . . .
Some retro cars are exceptional pieces of design and others are best not mentioned. The successful retro design captures the essence of what made a car great in the past and recreates it in the modern idiom. Retro is also a great way to bridge the perception gap between what was and what will be.
Renault has committed to launching seven all-new EVs by 2025 and there are strong indications that two of these will give a nod to the past, to the ‘60s Renault 4 and the iconic ‘70s to mid-‘90s Renault 5. This makes sense, as the very popular Zoe seems slated for retirement by then and the new 4 and 5 may well be built on its underpinnings. Or perhaps it will be on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-EV platform, which Renault will use in the upcoming Megane eVision.
The Renault 5 is perhaps the more iconic of the two numbered predecessors, maybe just because most of us grew up with one in the family, or at least in the street. The Renault 5’s design had longevity comparable to the Golf I. This may be why it lived well into the ‘90s, in two generations. Apart from the car mummy would do the school run in, the 5 gave us a couple of serious performance models as well. The 76 Alpine was one of the first hot hatches, while the insane 1980 Turbo broke all the rules.
The new 5 looks like a cyborg of the original Renault 5, with a nod to the wide-hipped Turbo. It has more or less the same shape headlights, but now with zig-zag LEDs. The new is half again as wide as the old, with a pronounced air dam giving a more aggressive approach.
The EV 4 and 5 are the brainchildren of new Renault boss Luca de Meo, who took over the top job last year. Years ago de Meo was at Fiat and leading the charge when that brand revived the 500. Of the new Renault 5, he said: “I know from experience that reinventing a cult product lights a fire under the whole brand. This is a cult vehicle at a price many can afford. And this is only the beginning for the whole Renault brand.”
There are exciting times ahead for Renault. If you walk around with a metaphorical baguette under your arm, you can keep up with Renault news by .
