Renault 5 resurrected as new electric hatchback that could take on Mini Electric and Honda e

Renault has revealed its new 5 Prototype that will point the way forward for its electric car ambitions, as well as plans to expand into the tech and service industries.

The new brand direction – dubbed ‘Nouvelle Vague’ (French for ‘new wave’) – will see Renault launch 14 new and updated models over the next four years, all of which will offer some form of electrified powertrain.

In fact, half of these models will be all electric, and seven of the 14 will compete in the C and D segment (known as the small and mid-size markets in Australia), rather than SUVs.

As such, the Renault 5 Prototype – an all-electric, pint-sized hatchback –perfectly encapsulates the brand’s future vision.

Though the Renault 5’s final year of production was 1996, the new Prototype borrows many style cues from its predecessor, including flat surfaces, short overhangs and tiny proportions.

However, sleek headlights, illuminated badging, a blacked-out roof and flush door handles hint at the Renault 5 Prototype’s future-forward ambitions.

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Paying homage to the past, the faux bonnet air intake actually hides the vehicle’s charging port.

Renault is yet to detail any specifications on its new concept car, such as battery size, range and power outputs, nor if it will even build the car for mass-market consumption.

It will however, leverage its current electric car expertise to aim for the “greenest mix” of cars in Europe by 2025, including developing hydrogen technologies for its light-commercial vehicles (LCVs).

The brand will also focus on pushing further into the tech space, creating an ecosystem where members can share and build vehicle software collaboratively, and offering more connected services through its soon-to-be-introduced ‘My Link’ suite that is underpinned by Google.

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Sustainability is also part of the Renault’s future, with plans to recondition 100,000 used cars per year at its ‘Re-Factory’ facility in Flins, France, including converting diesel LCVs to biogas and electric powertrains.

Across Renault Group’s other brands, Dacia showed off its Bigster Concept, Alpine announced it will team with Lotus to build an all-electric sports car, Lada has plans to rollout four new models (including a new-generation Niva) by 2025, and the Mobilize mobility company ripped the covers off the EZ-1 Prototype.

Renault boss Luca de Meo said: “At Renault we embrace the waves of disruption and create our own ‘Nouvelle Vague’.

“This vision of modernity, we anchor it in France,” he said. “Because as a brand, we know our sould and strength lies in our origins.

“The new R5 is the Nouvelle Vague: it’s strongly connect to its history, and yet it’s the future, making electric cars popular.”

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