Introduction to the 2025 Renault 5 E-Tech
The Renault 5 E-Tech is a properly modern electric car, based on the 'AmpR' platform developed by Ampere, Renault's electric tech company. It takes where the old Zoe left off as its basis but is designed to squeeze more range from a similarly sized battery pack that's - crucially - cheaper to make. This approach therefore brings down the price.
Certainly, the R5 E-Tech is more affordable than the Zoe was, with the entry-level model - featuring a 40kWh battery and a range of 300km - starting at €25,995.
Given that the Renault 5's retro styling is already being hailed as a modern design classic, that seems like not too much to spend. You can of course upgrade to a larger 52kWh battery with a 410km range, which also come with a more powerful electric motor, up from the 120hp of the basic model.
To do that, you have to upgrade to a higher specification, Techno, which means spending more like €30,000. It's not so long ago that almost no electric car was that affordable. Now, there's a positive glut of sub-€30k EVs. Is the Renault 5 E-Tech the best of them?
Pros & Cons of the 2025 Renault 5 E-Tech
Pros: Styling inside and out, quality, touchscreen, sweet steering, solid performance
Cons: Expect small car space, it's not a long-range EV
Irish pricing for the 2025 Renault 5 E-Tech electric
The electric Renault 5 starts at a low €25,995 once you take into consideration the SEAI grant and VRT rebate. That's exceptional value, even if it is the entry-level Evolution model with the 40kWh battery, and most buyers are likely to upgrade.
While the most affordable R5 with the preferred 52kWh battery costs €30,995, it's in the higher-spec Techno guise, so it's actually a price walk of €3,000 from the equivalent 40kWh variant, which also brings with it a bump in performance. Want the best one you can get? That's the €32,995 Iconic version.
Neil Briscoe's take on the 2025 Renault 5
I've been waiting for the Focus Moment. The original Focus Moment, unsurprisingly, refers back to the original Ford Focus, which when it first went on sale in 1998, showed us all just how utterly brilliant a humble family car could be.
It looked incredibly sharp and drove sharper even than that. It was a watershed, a moment where the clocks stopped, and were then reset, and suddenly we all had a new benchmark.
I'm not quite sure that the arrival of the new Renault 5 E-Tech Electric (to give the diminutive hatch its long-form birth certificate name) is fully a Focus Moment for electric cars, but it's surely pretty close.
Renault has most certainly created an electric car which makes you stop, think and reset. A car that transcends the pointless social media bickering when it comes to electric cars and is appealing almost entirely agnostically of its powertrain.
It really is a striking little car. The R5 is actually surprisingly tall but it's pert, petite and desirable in a way a multi-million-Euro hypercar just could never be. Like that original Ford Focus, it's attainable excellence.
Our test car, a high-spec Techno model with the larger 52kWh battery and the more powerful 150hp electric motor, swerved the Pokémon look that comes with the more eye-catching bright yellow or 'Kermit' green paint options, and instead was finished in a classy dark blue, with a splash of burnished chrome trim that looks almost like a gold pinstripe.
This one, with its 410km range, has a price tag of €31,395 which doesn't seem like an over-stretch from the cheapest version, but what's the effervescent little Renault like when you introduce it to Irish roads?
We start with some hatred. Electric cars must hate me, as a reviewer. You see, as soon as I pick up a new electric test car from one of the several locations across Dublin where we do such things, I have an immediate, lengthy, motorway-all-the-way drive home to Belfast.
EVs, in general, hate motorways, as they're all high-drain running for the battery with little-to-no chance to slow down and use the regenerative braking to top up. Equally, I can't charge at home (I live in a terraced house) so I'm lumbered with finding public charging, which often throws a spanner into my schedule. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if electric cars eventually form some kind of union to blacklist me...
In the meantime, the Renault 5 proved a total breeze to use, in an electric sense. OK, so its official 410km range is probably only realistic if you're driving gently around town and nowhere else. However, even with mostly motorway miles in my hands, the R5 returned average energy consumption of 15.6kWh/100km, which is commendably close to the official WLTP figure.
That suggests a useable range, under stress, of 330km, which is probably enough for most people. Put it this way, if the R5 can go from Dublin to Belfast and arrive with almost 40 per cent battery remaining, then it can also do Dublin-Cork easily enough, and all you have to worry about is finding charging when you get there.
Speaking of, even though the R5 will only charge at up to 100kW on DC power, I never spent more than 30 minutes or so at any charging point during my time with the car, which is good.
What's even better is the way the little Renault drives. No, it's not as sharp as its Alpine A290 cousin (and I just cannot fathom the vaguely lukewarm reaction to that car in some circles, but perhaps that's for another day...) as the steering is sweet and fast, if ever so slightly rubbery.
Not that this really matters, as the R5 gives you the confidence to lean on it through corners, and early concerns about it being too firm in its ride quality faded away. Yes, it's a little on the firm side, but never to the point of discomfort.
The interior looks brilliant, is very well made and the surprisingly small touchscreen is a doddle to use thanks to impressive Google-based software.
While many have criticised the R5 for having small back seats, it's also true of the front. I'm 185cm tall, with big feet and I was definitely feeling hemmed-in by the end of some journeys. This just emphasises that this is, at the end of the day, a compact car.
The seats themselves are comfortable, but a touch more support for your lower back and thighs wouldn't go astray.
However, while the R5 is a comfortable enough cruiser on motorways, where it really shines is on a tight and twisty back road, or in crowded city centres. In both locations, the combo of sharp steering, impressive brake feel (even when transitioning from regen-braking to mechanical brakes) and excellent body control (the R5's suspension makes it feel lighter than its 1,449kg kerb weight) make it a faithful and engaging companion. To sum it up in one word? Joyful.
Dave Humphreys' take on the 2025 Renault 5
The first time I get to experience a new vehicle is always interesting for me, but there was an added sense of excitement and intrigue with the Renault 5. There was already a lot of hype and excitement surrounding this car, but I always try to block that out until I get to experience it for myself, so that my impressions aren't skewed or tainted.
So, I was delighted that the Renault 5 did not disappoint. It is one of the few cars in recent years that lives up to the hype. The design is wonderful, and spending a couple of days photographing the car for our site allowed me to delve into all the little details and design flourishes throughout.
However, a car can't just be about design; it has to drive well, and that's where I found it to be even more surprising, because Renault has created a driving experience that I think will change many people's opinions about what an electric car is like.
The power output is modest, but enough for what most need. The suspension is set up in such a way that it feels sporty but not in an uncompromising way, and the user experience inside with a Google-based operating system is great.
My only criticisms of the interior are the number of column stalks behind the steering wheel, and to a lesser extent (although it's not something that really affects how I would use a car), the rear seats, which don't provide much room for big occupants. The materials, colours and overall layout are nicely judged and set it apart from its rivals.
It would've been very easy for Renault to make a car that looks like the Renault 5 but drives just like a Zoe, but instead, it has made a car that will redefine how mainstream and affordable electric cars should drive. That's not to say that this is the zenith of EVs; rather, this is how mainstream electric vehicles should drive, using a balanced approach that appeals to those of us who are more on the enthusiast side of the spectrum without jarring those who view cars simply as an appliance and a means to get from A to B.
Shane O' Donoghue's take on the 2025 Renault 5
I reckon the Renault 5 would be a success even if it was a bit rubbish. After all, it looks astonishing, it has a cool interior (so long as you don't need big rear seats) and it is priced very keenly for a nippy, modern electric supermini that's of high quality.
But it's not rubbish. It's not rubbish at all. It's brilliant to drive for starters, with quick steering, firm-but-not-uncomfortable damping, powerful brakes and a general sense of fun from behind the wheel that's lacking from way too many contemporary cars.
And yet, that's not to say it's only for those that love driving; it's not only for enthusiasts. I reckon keen drivers will indeed be charmed by the Renault 5, while everyone else will enjoy driving it and probably not be able to tell you why.
The Renault 5's cabin is almost as appealing as its exterior design, from the excellent seats, retro-inspired dashboard padding and headlining to the intuitive-to-use Google-based infotainment.
I'll forgive its surfeit of column stalks behind the wheel and the lack of a “park” setting for the transmission (you do get used to these things), especially as Renault fitted actual physical controls for the heating and ventilation, so you don't have to use the touchscreen too much while driving.
Most buyers will get on fine with the range, as well, and it should cost nothing to run if you can charge up at home. I didn't do any really long motorway runs in the car, but in a week driving it on a mix of urban roads and into the mountains for a bit of fun (where, admittedly, the ambient temperature was pleasant enough for me not to need the climate control at all), I saw an average energy consumption figure of 14.4kWh. That's better than the official WLTP number.
Anyway, you're not reading any of this, are you? You're just swiping through the image gallery oohing and aahing. Can't say I blame you.
Our video review of the Renault 5 is embedded at the bottom of this article and you can also read our in-depth first drive of the Renault 5 from last year.
Verdict - Should You Buy the 2025 Renault 5 E-Tech?
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. The usual caveat about needing home charging applies but this really might just be the EV Focus Moment as Neil alluded to above. It's an electric car that's easy to use, smile-inducingly-cute and properly fun and engaging to drive. C'est magnifique.
FAQs About the 2025 Renault 5 E-Tech
What is the range of the Renault 5 E-Tech?
The 52kWh version of the Renault 5 E-Tech has a WLTP range of 410km. In our hands, that translated to a real-world range of between 320- and 350km depending on how much time was spent on the motorway.
How fast can the Renault 5 e-Tech charge?
Up to 100kW on DC chargers and 11kW on AC power. That means a 10-80 per cent fast charge in around 33 minutes, or a five-hour 0-100 per cent charge on a slower 11kW AC connection (or a seven-hour charge on a home charging point).
What are the benefits of the standard heat pump in a Renault 5 E-Tech?
A heat pump system scavenges heat (or indeed cold air) that would otherwise go to waste and uses it to help power the car's cabin heating and air conditioning system. It means that you'll use less battery energy to cool or heat the car, meaning that you lose less range to very hot or very cold conditions.
How many ISOFIX points are in a Renault 5 E-Tech?
You get three ISOFIX points in the Renault 5 E-Tech - one in each of the outer rear seats, and another in the front passenger seat. Just be aware that the relatively tight space on offer in the back of the R5 means you might struggle to fit in some of the bigger and bulkier rear-facing seats. Maybe consider a roomier Renault 4 E-Tech in that case.
Want to know more about the Renault 5 E-Tech?
If there's anything about the Renault 5 E-Tech we've not covered, or you'd like help in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
