Two years after the presentation of the concept car, the new electric R5 is long overdue! We take stock of the progress of the project.
Luca de Meo made it the standard-bearer of his “Renaulution”. When he presented his long-awaited battle plan to relaunch the French group, the man who had been appointed general manager of Renault a few months earlier formalized what had become an open secret: the great return of the R5 with an engine electric.
That day, he even lifted the veil on a concept faithfully prefiguring the car. But it was January 14, 2021, more than two years ago. And there is still nothing in the concessions. Which is… normal.
One of the elements of the Renaulution plan was indeed to improve the lead times for launching a new vehicle, thanks to a more efficient organization and an optimization of the technique. But the automotive industry is a long-term industry. The objective set by Luca de Meo was therefore to reduce the development and launch time from four to three years.
Thus, as soon as the prototype was presented, Luca de Meo mentioned a launch of the production model in early 2024. The CEO had given the green light to the project a few months earlier, the concept was developed quickly to be on stage in January. A very useful prototype to make an impression and create buzz beyond the automotive press.
On the road since 2022… but well hidden
But this has a backlash: creating a frustratingly long wait for a less informed public, who have therefore been asking themselves for two years: but when will the electric R5 happen?
We still have to wait, since we are still far from the start of 2024. But the project is of course following its course and Renault seems able to meet the deadlines, within a few months it is true. The opening of orders could be done in early 2024, but deliveries a little later in the year.
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It must be said that this R5 must inaugurate a new technical base, the CMF-BEV, an element which largely explains the delay in development. However, Renault did not start from scratch, since it is adapting the Clio platform to electric. This should make it possible to reduce the invoice… and therefore the final price.
Development prototypes of the CMF-BEV were also seen in September 2022. The base was however dressed in a Clio body, a DIY called a mule in automotive jargon. And it is precisely with this form that the English media AutoExpress could take the wheel.
During this test run, our colleagues noted that the R5 promises to be more lively and fun to drive than the Zoé, thanks in particular to widened tracks, responsive steering and a multi-link rear suspension that provides stability. They also praised the new braking system, developed with Continental.
Soon the prototypes with the final shape
However, no element of the technical sheet has filtered during this grip. The R5 should have a double offer, with a different motor-battery couple. The basic version could have an LFP battery in order to have a more attractive starting price, although the initial objective of starting under € 20,000 should not be met, given the explosion of many costs in recent years. Renault should now aim for an entry ticket under €25,000. The large battery model will have 400 km of autonomy, a value similar to that of the Zoé, which the Losange considers sufficient for a city car.
But then, going back to the project schedule, what’s next? The next big step will be the discovery of the first prototypes with the final silhouette. It is now a matter of weeks, if not days.
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For the presentation of the model, no date is yet known, but we expect it during the second half of the year, with an important deadline which seems ideal: the Munich Motor Show in September (Renault had presented the electric Mégane in Munich in 2021) .
However, given the importance of the vehicle, we can bet that Renault will carry out a long campaign of teasing and revelation in pieces… as was also the case with the Mégane. A focus could also be made beforehand on the interior, this one being still totally unknown, the concept having no cockpit, or at least a “false”. Another element to formalize, and not the least, the name! Indeed, a doubt remains on the name, which could be “Five” in letters, in order to have an E to highlight for electric.
A way to make customers wait in the final stretch!
