Successful surprise
New Renault 5: What makes it a big hit
"If it drives half as well as it looks, ..." we thought to ourselves and were very excited to get our hands on the electric new edition of the R5. But what came next really surprised us. You can see it here in the video.
It's rare for a new car to appeal to pretty much everyone straight away. Design experiments here, blandness there and always a lack of emotional connection to a car. Yet you often buy it not only for rational reasons, but also with your heart. Out of emotion. You spend a lot of time with it. Perhaps you even identify with it. Or is identified with it by others.
The then VW boss Diess, when he still had something to say in the Group, issued the motto "E-cars don't need emotion". So the ID series, with which Diessens' successor, let's say, does not have the greatest pleasure.
And in this time of anemic cars, Renault is driving in like Zeus' lightning bolt and reviving something that for many is the "good old days" with the new R5. Just as we can spontaneously sing along to countless song lyrics from the past, many people still remember what their cars smelled like back then. There was an R5 in one or two of them, after all, over nine million of them were sold between 1972 and 1984.
Apart from that, it simply stands for an attitude to life - and that also works for people who haven't been around that long. Why else were we approached by people of pretty much all ages during the test drives in France, congratulated with thumbs up or photographed with cell phone cameras? Enthusiasm everywhere.
What to do if ...?
But what's the point of all the looks, all the emotion, if the new R5 drives like a Dacia Spring? Yes, what if it feels like the cheapest Romanian power station? We asked ourselves this question, but the R5 quickly showed us how absurd it is. In short: it drives fantastically!
Although the Dacia thing wouldn't have been so far-fetched, because the electric R5 was primarily announced as a mass-produced car for less than 25,000 euros. Well, such a version is also coming (although perhaps not to Austria), but the one that journalists recently had the opportunity to drive in Nice and the surrounding area was the top version with the larger of the two available batteries and the largest of the three motors. Price 32,400 or 34,400 euros depending on the equipment. So up to 10,000 euros more, but for that you get a lot of car - if you don't measure "a lot" in terms of sheer size.
Small and light, but not slimmed down
With a length of 3.92 meters and a wheelbase of 2.54 meters, the R5 is slightly larger than the electric Mini Cooper, but is significantly lighter than the British car produced in China. The top model of the small Gallic with a net 52 kWh battery and 110 kW/150 hp weighs an exemplary 1449 kg without driver. In the top configuration it is also only 1469 kg. The Mini with a similarly sized battery weighs over 150 kg more, but has 218 hp.
But the Renault is no slouch either. It sprints to 100 km/h in 8.0 seconds and feels more than adequately motorized. If that's not enough for you, you're spoiled by overpowered electric cars and may have lost touch with reality and necessity. On German highways, you might wish for more than the 150 km/h top speed, but in view of the moderate fast-charging performance, it is advisable not to push the pedal to the metal if you want to arrive in good time (see below).
The chassis pushes the boundaries of the class
The electric R5 derives its driving pleasure less from the drive system than from the chassis and steering. A multi-link rear axle is worthy of all honors in a small car. It sits firmly and authoritatively on the road, yet is comfortable and does not feel like a small car. Apart from the turning circle, which at 10.30 meters creates space in narrow alleys and parking garages where there is none.
In addition, the steering is really first-class, responding directly and providing wonderful feedback. The R5 steers spontaneously like a go-kart. This is really great cinema and was not to be expected, only a few days after the last test with the Renault Scenic.
The braking feel with the new decoupled one-box system is also perfect in the R5. The driver doesn't even notice that the brake pedal is switched between recuperation and disc brakes in the background.
With the new R5, you can say there's not a dry eye in the house, especially when it's pouring with rain on the Col de Turrini above Nice, as it was during our test drives. Even under these adverse conditions, the little French car doesn't annoy with understeer, but inspires all along the line. Every kilo counts, especially downhill.
The matter of space
Like the Mini Cooper, the R5 E-Tech Electric is not a fully-fledged four-seater, as it lacks legroom in the rear seat. Unless, of course, only people who are 1.60 meters tall sit in the front and rear. In the front, however, even tall claustrophobics can manage.
The trunk is noticeably larger than that of the Mini. 250 liters fit into the main compartment, with a further 27 liters under a flap, for example for the charging cable. It's just a shame if you need it when there's luggage on top. Folded down, you get 959 liters.
Some criticism of the Renault marketing department here. This is because their misleading information gives a false impression of the size of the load volume. On the one hand, they state 326 plus 41 liters and a total volume of 1106 liters - but these figures are irrelevant because they are not comparable with the competition.
The real currency is the VDA standard, according to which the trunk volume is calculated using small standard cuboids instead of liquid, which is much more realistic. A lot of "Über-Autos" writers and storytellers also fall for this trick and praise the oh-so-large trunk.
Control system makes life easy
As in the other current Renaults, the operating system in the R5 is also based on Google. The speedometer screen measures 7 or 10 inches depending on the equipment, the touchscreen generally 10 inches. The menu navigation is also easy to use on this small screen. Real buttons for the climate control functions make life easier.
Life is made particularly easy by the "My Safety" button, which allows you to call up your own configuration of the limit warning system, lane departure warning system, etc. at the touch of a button.
Perhaps not all drives for Austria
There will be three different power levels for the R5: 70 kW/95 PS, 90 kW/122 PS and 110 kW/150 PS. Those who really need more power will have to wait for the Alpine A290, which is the new R5 Turbo, so to speak, with 220 hp.
There is a choice of two batteries with net 40 and 52 kWh. You will be able to choose one of the two more powerful engines. This gives you either 321 or 410 kilometers WLTP range. This is absolutely fine for a car intended for the city or generally for smaller action radii and keeps the weight low.
Whether the weakest engine will be offered in Austria is still up for discussion. It would only be available with the small battery and without a fast-charging option, but it would be the only R5 with a base price of less than 25,000 euros. You would have to think very carefully about whether you could manage with 11 kW charging power in the long term. Also in view of the resale value.
All other variants can be fast-charged as standard - although fast is relative: a maximum of 80 kW for the small battery and 100 kW for the large battery. Renault specifies a charging time of 30 minutes. But beware, this is another marketing ploy: instead of the usual 10 to 80 percent, Renault specifies a value of 15 to 80 percent. It just looks better.
Assistants in the luxury class
In terms of assistance systems, the R5 can be extremely well equipped, right up to the quasi-autopilot, which allows it to swerve to the side of the road at speeds below 50 km/h to make room for motorcycles and scooters or to form a rescue lane for emergency vehicles. There is an emergency lane keeping function forwards and in reverse, the exit assistant, the multi-collision brake, and it can also brake itself when reversing in an emergency.
Cheers to intuition
It is said that the R5 concept car was not even intended to be realized before the then new Renault boss Luca de Meo saw it during the Group takeover and immediately announced the motto: I want it. And so the small electric car was developed in the record time of three years, solutions were found that had been designed in the mock-up but not thought through to the end. It was probably love at first sight, if you look at it romantically. And the success will probably prove him right.
Driving citation
The R5 E-Tech Electric may not be the affordable electric car everyone was hoping for (as the version under 25,000 euros is all too slimmed down), but it's still not really expensive because it not only looks incredibly good, but also drives at least as well. In short: the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is a great success. And with the R4 and Twingo, Renault has two more hot retro arrows in its quiver.
Why?
Because it looks incredibly good and spreads a good mood
Because it drives really well
Why not?
Because the 25,000 euro version can't even charge quickly - if it comes to Austria at all.
Or maybe ...
... Mini Cooper E/SE, Citroen e-C3
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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