We Tested the €25,000 Renault 5 for a Week: Here’s Why We Don’t Recommend It

When Renault launched the R5 E-Tech in February 2024, it was touted for its starting price of “under €25,000” (€24,990 to be exact), which could even drop to €20,680 after applying income-dependent incentives.

Until now, we had only had the chance to test the significantly more expensive, high-end versions, which are 40% pricier. It’s a typical strategy: advertisements feature the “starting at” prices of the base models, yet showcase the most flattering and profitable high-end versions.

While some manufacturers never provide the media with their entry-level models, Renault’s press fleet eventually included the basic “R5.” At Survoltés, we eagerly awaited its arrival and tested it as soon as we could.

We spent a full week driving the “Renault 5 95 hp Urban Range Five.” Our week consisted of typical daily commutes in the Paris region, along with evening and weekend city drives, both alone and with family.

Does this budget-friendly R5 Five impress us as much as the high-end R5 Iconic Five we tested at launch? What sets it apart, and what might it be lacking? Let’s take a detailed look!

Renault 5 E-Tech FiveExterior: Simpler, More Retro

The Renault 5 E-Tech electric Five retains the same charming look as the previously tested Iconic version, sparking curiosity and affection from passersby, especially in the “Pop Green!” color of our test model. However, several details distinguish the Five and Evolution versions from the Techno and Iconic models.

They skip many purely aesthetic details: no two-tone paint, no roof trim, no “numbeR5” decorations on the front doors, an “old-fashioned” antenna rather than a “shark fin” one, and the wheel arches, sills, and especially the rear bumper are in matte black plastic rather than glossy black or body-colored plastic.

Importantly, instead of sophisticated bi- or tri-color alloy wheels, there are steel wheels with hubcaps, “like in the old days,” yet pleasing in 18 inches, without the low-end image of the 13-inch wheels common on economical cars from the 1980s/1990s.

With these aesthetic frills stripped away, form follows function more closely, giving the car a much more understated look that enhances its retro neo-retro design. The only regret is the black bulge on the hood, a nod to the original R5’s air intake, which serves no function on this new Five (it displays charging progress on higher models).

Renault 5 E-Tech FiveInterior: More Spartan, A Potentially Disqualifying Detail

Inside, however, the differences between the Five/Evolution and the Techno/Iconic versions are strictly due to cost-cutting measures. There are no collateral benefits to any of the numerous compromises made.

Gone are the features that make the R5 Techno and Iconic feel like premium subcompact cars competing with the Mini: the large 10-inch digital instrument cluster, the faux leather steering wheel trim, and the fabric trim on the dashboard and door panels.

What remains is the “e-shifter” gear lever with its faux crystal top, which now seems out of place. Most notably, the central console, which integrates the central armrest, useful storage compartments with non-slip lining, a wireless charger, and 2 USB-C ports, and serves as a right knee rest, is gone.

Instead, there’s just hard plastic, which is less visually appealing on the dashboard and door panels and particularly annoying on the central console. Without anti-slip coating, phones, parking remotes, or keychains constantly slide and clatter in the two narrow but lengthy storage compartments. Renault has overdone the cost-cutting here.

But a more severe issue that might disqualify the Five version involves the seats, which are not adjustable in height. Given the cabin design, with the roof sloping towards the small windshield and the bulk behind the rearview mirror, visibility is poor if, like me, you are taller than 1.80 meters (the average height of a French man).

You must constantly lean forward to see upwards or to the right. This is cumbersome and causes you to lose sight of the mirrors during this time.

For this matter of comfort and visibility (and thus safety), Renault should offer an option to adjust the seat height or the seat tilt to lower the seating position (similar to a Fiat 500). It’s ironic that visibility issues are still a concern given how much cars have grown since the 1980s/1990s.

Otherwise, the seats are the same as those in higher models. They are comfortable and provide excellent lateral support. The same goes for the rear bench, which can scarcely accommodate an adult taller than 1.80 m behind another adult of the same height. The trunk size remains unchanged.

Renault 5 E-Tech FiveInfotainment: A Streamlined Android Automotive

The Five and Evolution versions also make concessions regarding the infotainment system. The digital instrument cluster screen shrinks from 10 inches to 7 inches. Its refined interface displays the essentials, in the best sense of the word.

Two light bars extending the interface on either side of the screen indicate the display mode (among 3) and partially fill the vacant space under the “visor,” which was already oddly large with the 10-inch screen.

The central 10-inch screen remains the same as in the Techno and Iconic versions, but it only features the basic “openR” system, a streamlined version of the excellent “openR Link.” It still runs on the Android Automotive OS, contrary to common belief, but without Google services, meaning no Google Play Store and crucially no Google Maps or any other navigation solution.

openR adequately handles the basic functions (settings, manual air conditioning, radio, music, and phone via Bluetooth…). For everything else, it relies on a smartphone via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay (wired or wireless).

This seems sensible, as the car doesn’t feature fast charging, so there’s no need for tight integration of a route planner. However, one might wonder if this distinction is more about artificial product segmentation than actual cost-saving. The hardware is likely the same; it just lacks a GPS antenna and a Google certification.

Renault 5 E-Tech FiveDriving Aids: Artificial Limitations?

Similarly, the driving aids in the Renault 5 Five and Evolution do not include level 2 autonomous driving (adaptive cruise control and lane centering), although they appear to be equipped for it. Due to the European Union’s General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2), all new cars sold in the EU must have, among other things, emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance.

Even the entry-level Renault 5 is equipped with a front radar and a front camera; it can measure the distance to the vehicle ahead (displaying it on the digital cluster) and intervene in the steering to prevent lane crossing.

However, the “old-fashioned” (non-adaptive) cruise control does not slow down when approaching a slower vehicle. It wouldn’t take much, perhaps just a software unlock, for the Five and Evolution models to also offer Active Driver Assist.

As with openR Link, this probably has more to do with product segmentation than technical limitations. But certain advantages must be reserved for the higher-end models.

However, the existence of a dedicated “My Safety Switch” button, which disables the driving aids (automatically reactivated at each restart) with a simple double press, is a welcome feature. Other manufacturers require several seconds of touchscreen manipulation to disable these alerts.

This is particularly useful since the speedometer has a significant margin (134 km/h for a real speed of 130 km/h), and the audible alert therefore sounds if you travel at 90, 110, or 130 km/h. That said, we would prefer that there be no margin, to travel at true speeds without forgoing the audible alert.

It’s not so much about saving a few minutes; it’s mainly about not traveling 4 km/h slower than other road users, which can lead to long and dangerous overtaking maneuvers.

The R5 Five and Evolution lack front parking sensors and a rear-view camera, but they fortunately have a rear “radar” because rear visibility is, as often, poor: the rear pillars are quite wide and the rear window is both high, narrow, and thin, not to mention the 3 headrests (which are nonetheless welcome) on the rear bench.

Renault 5 E-Tech FiveDriving: Comfortable, but Awaiting One-Pedal Driving

The “Five” version exclusively pairs a 70 kW / 95 hp motor, reserved for it, with a 40 kWh battery dubbed “urban range.” The power is not as generous as in other versions of the Renault 5 (120 and 150 hp) and the Alpine A290 (180 and 220 hp), as is often the case with electric cars.

The power is what one might call normal, adequately sufficient for its 1428 kg mass and functional purpose. The acceleration of the Renault 5 Five is nothing spectacular (0 to 100 km/h in 12 seconds), but it neither lacks power at start-up nor during overtaking, even uphill. The generous 215 Nm torque helps significantly.

The Renault 5 Five makes no other concessions compared to the higher-end versions. It has the same chassis, the same suspensions, the same steering, etc., thus providing the same pleasant and enjoyable driving sensations.

One drawback, however: Renault promised at launch that a new update would introduce one-pedal driving, with paddle shifters for four-level regenerative braking adjustment, but our Renault 5 Five circulated in November was still not equipped with this feature.

True, there are 2 levels of regenerative braking (D and B), and yes, the transition between regenerative and friction braking is seamless. However, these 2 levels of regenerative braking make no difference at low speeds, and the Five does not offer “Auto Hold,” unlike other versions. That means you must keep your foot on the brake at a stop, otherwise the car inches forward like an automatic transmission internal combustion engine vehicle. A pity!

Exclusively in the Five version, the speed is limited to 130 km/h, compared to 150 km/h in other versions (excluding Alpine). More precisely, the speed is limited to 134 km/h on the speedometer, which in this case corresponds, as we have seen, to a real speed of 130 km/h (measured with a Coyote Max).

We would have appreciated a small additional margin of 5 km/h to complete, for example, the overtaking of a vehicle merging onto the highway that reaches 130 km/h during the maneuver. But as we’ll see, this is necessary to preserve the range.

Renault 5 E-Tech FiveRange, Consumption, and Especially… Charging!

The Renault 5 Five features a 40 kWh battery, aptly named “urban range,” and claims a WLTP range of 310 km.

In dry weather at 18°C, during urban and peri-urban trips (city and fast suburban roads), the average consumption is about 15 kWh/100 km, equating to 265 km with a full battery (about 240 km between 100% and 10% of the battery). During exclusively urban trips in the same weather conditions, consumption can drop to 12 kWh/100 km, equating to a total range of 330 km (a bit less than 300 km from 100% to 10%).

For French drivers who average 30 km per day, a weekly recharge might suffice. In this scenario, one could forego home charging and instead charge once a week at a public station.

However, consumption increases on the highway. At a real speed of 130 km/h in the same weather conditions, we indeed record an average consumption of 20 kWh/100 km, equating to a total range of 200 km and even 140 km between 80% and 10% (for comparison). We record 18 kWh/100 km at 110 km/h, equating to 220 and 155 km over the same usage ranges of the battery.

The problem is that the Renault 5 Five lacks DC (direct current) fast charging. It only supports AC (alternating current) charging, at 11 kWh. Therefore, it takes 3 hours and 20 minutes to charge from 10% to 100%. Trips over 150 km are thus nearly impossible, and all the more difficult as AC chargers are increasingly rare along highways.

Finally, this “Five” version skips the heat pump, which is standard on the rest of the range. This omission likely leads to a significant drop in range in cold weather.

Renault 5 E-Tech FivePricing, Availability, and Competition

Renault opened orders for the Renault 5 Five in June 2025. It is priced starting at €24,990. Assembled in France, it qualifies for the new incentive ranging from €3,620 to €5,740 depending on the tax bracket per part. The only options available on this version are the “Pop Green” color at €850, all-season tires at €250, and accessories such as the type 2 cable at €303.

In the B segment, its main competitor is the Citroën ë-C3 You, which starts at €19,990 before incentives in its version with 204 km WLTP range and a 7.4 kW AC charger, and especially at €23,450 in its version with 314 km WLTP range and a 100 kW DC charger. Unlike the Renault 5 Five, the latter can venture onto highways.

Similarly, the BYD Dolphin Surf starts at €19,990 with fast charging and 220 km of range, but its manufacture in China disqualifies it from the ecological bonus.

The other competitor is the Renault 5 120 hp Urban Range in the Evolution version, the immediate step up in the range. We have mentioned its many commonalities with the Five throughout this article, but it addresses our two main reservations about the Five.

Indeed, in addition to a 90 kW or 120 hp engine as a bonus, it primarily adds DC fast charging at 80 kW (20% to 80% in 30 minutes), for an additional €3,000, and an option for heated front seats and especially height-adjustable seats for an extra €400, totaling €28,390 before incentives.