Living with a… Renault 5 E-Tech Electric

One of the most eagerly awaited electric cars of recent times, does the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric really live up to the hype? I’ve got six months with one to find out and, it’s fair to say, the anticipation has been as high in my household as it has in the wider automotive world. Which is interesting, because beyond cute looks there isn’t anything revolutionary about this Renault 5 – far from it, given the styling riffs on a car first launched in the early 70s. It’s just a slick product, competitively priced and – indulge the inevitable slip into Franglais – primed to bring a bit of joie de vivre into the electric car world. Is there substance behind the style to make it really stand out against play-it-straight rivals like the Corsa Electric, though? Can it compete with the wacky Chinese retro-modernity of the artist formerly known as the Funky Cat? Or is it just another example of a legacy car manufacturer shamelessly trading on past glories in an attempt to make itself heard? Guess I’m going to find out.
Skip to: Month 1 – Gallic hug or Gallic shrug?

Middle-aged dad with fond memories of Renault hot hatches in a previous life wondering if this reborn 5 can capture some of the same magic. With a van for the lifestyle stuff and longer journeys there’s a need on the household fleet for smaller, more practical car for general family errands, school runs, the commute and occasional longer trips to airports and work events.

Dan says: “Straight away I’ve noticed the advantages of having a smaller battery when it comes to expensive public charging”

How much has it cost you?

Not much, given it’s only just turned up! Straight away I’ve noticed the advantages of having a smaller battery when it comes to expensive public charging, though. Sure, you stop more often given the real-world range looks to be about 200 miles between charges, as opposed to the claimed 252 with the bigger of the two battery options I have. But a motorway pit-stop is quicker and cheaper than it was on the Cupra Tavascan the 5 replaces.

Where have you been?

My first drive in the 5 was a 300-mile round trip to Ragley Hall outside Birmingham for the ABR Festival motorcycle show. I should have gone on the Triumph Tiger I’m also running on long-term test. But I was excited to try the Renault and motorway miles are pretty miserable on a bike, even when the weather is nice.

What have you been carrying?

Kit for the above, meaning a new helmet (so new it was still in its box) and a pair of gigantic enduro bike boots, along with associated clobber. That pretty much filled the boot, which is on the small side. Also, children. Though not in the boot. Jury is still out on the yellow-on-black interior – my son reckons it’s cool, my daughter not so much.

Delights?

Well, I like the yellow bits and ‘5’ logos on the seats Iconic Five trim brings, and the way this coordinates with the yellow start-up graphics on the paired screens. Surprise and delight features like this just keep coming as well, including the little tricolour French flags in the headlights, the illuminated 5 on the bonnet showing the charge level of the battery, the little stylised car outlines on the rubber mats in the oddments trays … I could go on!

Frustrations?

I’m usually indifferent about the faff of downloading the supporting apps for every test car, but it’s worth it for a long-termer, and especially useful with an electric one for keeping tabs on charge levels and the like. Without going too tin foil hat it does rather feel like you’re handing over info about where you go, how you drive and other habits for the purposes of manufacturer data harvesting, though. Two enduring Renault frustrations carry over into the 5 as well, these including the stupid key card you can’t clip to a key ring and is too easy to lose in your pockets and the column-mounted media controls. I’ve owned Renaults in the past and still can’t remember which button does what. It also crowds an already busy steering column packed with stalks, customisable ‘e-pop’ gear selector and more. Which means endless flailing about, unsure as to whether you’re skipping a track, switching the wipers on or selecting reverse. Any of which could lead to embarrassment if you get the wrong stalk.

This month in a nutshell

My wife has already asked if we can keep it!

Mileage: 4,265 (on delivery) Fuel consumption: 4 miles/kWh

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