Renault 5 EV 2024 Prototype Drive: exciting things

One of the The most exciting cars of recent years haven’t had big turbos, neck-straining acceleration figures, or a cockpit full of simulated stars. It is a small French hatchback that is reminiscent of a car from the 1970s.

Renault’s next 5 EV was conceptualized for the first time in 2021and the company’s CEO, Luca de Meo, loved it so much that he decided that Renault would make a production model by 2024.

For those unfamiliar with Renault or the original Renault 5, the story is quite simple. Renault has specialized in affordable, smartly designed and fun-to-drive cars primarily for the French market (it is a French company, after all). In the 20th century, it had a series of popular cars that got the masses moving: the agricultural Renault 4the chic Clio, the family-sized Megané, the space (which basically invented the “people mover” segment) and, of course, the Renault 5.

The dinky 5 came with engines for all budgets: the turbo r5 It was a pretty racy proposition and ensured an easy and roomy ride in a small package. It is a car that has certainly been romanticized over the years, so the prospect of a new electric version caused talk and hopes to rise.

The production car is due to appear in the second half of 2024, but Renault felt confident enough to let WIRED get behind the wheel of an early prototype, and the company hosted some media, including WIRED, in Sweden to see him. Sadly, the concept car we’re driving on the ice doesn’t even remotely resemble the concept that wowed the crowds three years ago. Instead, at least for now, it has the bodywork of Renault’s basic hatch, the Clio. However, we are sure that the final design will resemble the 2021 concept.

But there are already plenty of new features to admire. Below the door line is a large metal slab, which is the new lower platform. Located in the nose is a flap that hides its charging port. The rear wheel sits forward in the arch, highlighting the 5’s shorter wheelbase. The 5 also has wider track (both front and rear) than the Clio, so the plastic wheel arch extensions they have been bolted to the side. The interior is a mass of large red buttons to stop the car’s various functions in an emergency.