PARIS - Renault’s cheeky little hatchback from the ‘70s and ‘80s is set to make a comeback with an electric twist as part of Renault's future strategy that seeks to offer the ‘greenest’ mix of vehicles in Europe by 2025.
Although the car you see here is technically a prototype, it looks set to inspire an upcoming production car which Renault says will “democratise the electric car in Europe with a modern approach influenced by one of the most popular and essential cars of its era”.
The Renault 5 prototype is clearly modern in its design approach, but the design influence from its ancestor is clear as day.
“The design of the Renault 5 Prototype is based on the R5, a cult model of our heritage,” Renault design boss Gilles Vidal enthused. “This prototype simply embodies modernity, a vehicle relevant to its time: urban, electric, attractive.”
According to Renault, the frontal design and textile roof are influenced by the world of furniture and there are plenty of interesting design details throughout, including French Flag graphics in the rear-view mirrors and front and rear logos that light up to bring the car “to life”.
Technical specs? Renault isn’t mentioning anything like that for now, but given the aforementioned focus on affordability, the production model is probably not going to offer the more insane acceleration or the longest range in the world.
But if it looks anything like this R5 prototype, it could well become one of the coolest cars of the decade.