Forbidden Fruit Review: Renault 5 E-Tech Electric – An Icon Reimagined, “Le Car” in the Electric Era

Several decades after its disappearance, Renault revives this icon for the electric era. We took the wheel, in Austria, of the version most likely to appeal to local drivers: the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Techno Comfort Range.

• The Renault 5 offers an estimated range of 348 kilometres
• The test vehicle is equipped with a 52 kWh battery
• The base price of the 5 with the smaller battery starts at €20,220 ($32,640)

Pros:

• Playful retro-modern design with genuine character – one of the most charming EVs on the market
• Agile, light-feeling handling – ideal for city driving and tight European roads
• Competitive pricing in Europe and strong efficiency – a genuinely accessible EV

Cons:

• Tight rear-seat space – adults fit only for short trips; limited foot room
• Some small ergonomic/software quirks – occasional drive-selector delay and infotainment wake-up hiccups
• Cold-weather range reduction will be noticeable – especially for North American winter-style climates

A Love Affair with Québec and Canada

Renault’s relationship with Québec and Canada laid the foundation for the original Renault 5’s deeply rooted fanbase. When the French automaker opened the Société de Montage Automobile (S.O.M.A.) plant in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville in 1965, Québec became an unlikely but important outpost for French automotive culture. Models like the R8, R12, and R16 were assembled locally, supported by Québec’s industrial workforce and a buyer base that understood French cars in a way the rest of North America rarely did.

By the early 1970s, costs rose, sales stalled, and labour tensions grew, leading to S.O.M.A.’s shutdown around 1974. Into that vacuum arrived the Renault 5 rebranded as “Le Car” for this continent a small, thrifty, unmistakably European hatchback that fit perfectly into Québec’s automotive identity. Its charm helped it survive in a market otherwise dominated by American and Japanese brands. But US-driven regulatory shifts, increasingly strict emissions and safety standards, and Renault’s push toward its AMC partnership ultimately spelled the end. Canadian sales wrapped up around 1985, closing the book on Renault’s mainstream presence here.

Now, decades after Québecers reluctantly said goodbye, Renault has revived its icon for the electric age. And in Austria, we spent time behind the wheel of the version most Canadians would gravitate toward if the brand returned here: the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Techno Comfort Range, finished in the wonderfully nostalgic Pop Green with a Diamond Black roof a colour combination that stops pedestrians in their tracks and perfectly embodies the reborn R5’s playful personality.

Design & Easter Eggs: Retro Done Right

Finished in vivid Pop Green with a Diamond Black roof, our test car showcases exactly what Renault intended the R5 to be: not just efficient transportation, but a joyful object. The squared LED signature lights channel the original R5’s friendly face, while the upright stance and simple body lines echo the “folded-paper” aesthetic of the 1970s without leaning on caricature.

One of the most delightful touches is the illuminated “5” badge on the hood, which glows during charging, pulsing softly as the battery fills. Inside, patterned stitching, materials inspired by the classic R5, and seat elements borrowed from the R5 Turbo keep the nostalgia flowing. Even the optional 3D-printed baguette holder embraces Renault’s playful French identity.

The Fiat 500e may be a nostalgia icon, but the Renault 5 feels more authentic in how deeply it channels its heritage.

Technical details

Built on the AmpR Small platform (formerly CMF-B EV), the Techno Comfort Range model we drove uses the 52 kWh battery paired with the 150 hp (110 kW) motor, giving it the longest range and strongest performance in the lineup.

Battery & Range

• 52 kWh battery (Techno Comfort Range)
• WLTP: up to 407 km
• EPA-equivalent estimate: 348 km
• 15.2 kWh/100 km
• Real life range: 298 km

A smaller 40 kWh battery exists in the lineup, but the Techno Comfort Range configuration is available only with the larger 52 kWh pack, making it the most versatile choice for mixed driving.

Charging

• AC: up to 11 kW
• DC fast-charging: up to 100 kW, with a quoted 15–80% time of about 30 minutes

Performance

• 150 hp / 181 lb-ft
• 0–100 km/h in about 8 seconds

The Renault 5 is not built to be a hot hatch, but if you want one, you can choose the Alpine 290. However, the Techno Comfort Range version has enough energy to tackle mountain roads with surprising composure.

Interior Quality & Comfort

Step into the Pop Green Renault 5 and the cabin immediately reflects the same energy as the exterior. The Techno trim gives the interior a cheerful mix of modern surfaces and carefully judged textures, with a playful colour palette that avoids feeling gimmicky. The front seats are genuinely welcoming: they’re shaped with enough support for long days behind the wheel yet soft enough to remain comfortable when navigating tight city streets.

Because the battery sits under the floor, the seating position is slightly raised, but this works in the car’s favour. It gives the driver a confident outward view and makes climbing in and out pleasantly natural compared to the original one. The wide dash and slim A-pillars add to the cockpit’s airy feeling, and the Renault 5’s compact footprint is cleverly disguised by a cabin that feels much more open than expected.

The rear seats, however, reveal the car’s city-centric design philosophy. Space is adequate but not generous, and adults will feel it quickly. Legroom is fine for short trips, but what limits comfort most is the lack of foot space under the front seats. Larger passengers will struggle to place their feet naturally. Children will sit comfortably back there, but adults should think of the rear bench as occasional-use seating.

Cargo capacity sits at 326 litres in this 52 kWh version, more than workable for groceries, duffel bags, or a weekend trip. The tall load lip, a result of the battery packaging, requires heavier items to be lifted higher, but once inside, the trunk’s shape makes excellent use of the available space.

Tech & Infotainment: Smart, Friendly, and Mostly Polished

One of the Techno trim’s biggest strengths is its OpenR Link infotainment system, co-developed with Google and tailored for everyday usability. The 10.1-inch touchscreen is bright, quick, and visually clean, behaving more like a modern Android device than a traditional in-car system. Google Maps with integrated EV routing feels natural and makes long-distance planning intuitive, calculating charging needs with confidence and clarity.

Renault also resisted the industry trend toward burying climate controls behind submenus. The physical buttons remain simple, tactile, and easy to reach, and they make a meaningful difference when adjusting temperature while driving.

But as polished as OpenR Link is, the Renault 5 still carries a few charming imperfections the kind that remind you this is a French car with as much personality as paint colour. Our Pop Green tester occasionally took a beat too long to “wake up,” briefly asking for the key card to be reinserted, as if it needed a gentle nudge to start its day. And in one particularly inconvenient moment, double-parked, hazards on, praying for cooperation, the R5 decided it simply wouldn’t power back on until I stepped out, locked it, unlocked it, and tried again.

A little dramatic, yes, but hardly surprising from a brand whose classics were adored as much for their quirks as their charm. At least this time, the theatrics are digital rather than mechanical. The “e-pop” drive selector, delightfully retro in its styling, can sometimes take a heartbeat longer than expected to switch from reverse to drive, not enough to frustrate, but noticeable. And the stalk layout, a longstanding Renault quirk, may have you brushing the wiper controls unintentionally until muscle memory kicks in.

Still, these imperfections feel like part of the car’s charm rather than design oversights.

Focused on Market Need, Affordability, and Nostalgia

The Renault 5 E-Tech doesn’t just bring back a name; it reminds us of something the North American market has almost completely forgotten: the importance of small, attainable cars. In Europe, the R5 fits naturally into a landscape built for compact, efficient vehicles. But driving it on Austrian roads, it became impossible not to imagine how well this little electric hatchback could serve Canadian cities, too. Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver are all places where space is tight, commutes are short, and where a playful, affordable EV like this one would thrive.

And affordability is the key. As EV prices continue to climb in North America, we are heading in the wrong direction. What we need urgently are EVs that real people can buy without stretching into luxury pricing. The Renault 5 does precisely that in Europe, offering character, efficiency, and style without forcing buyers to cross the $50,000 threshold. The absence of cars like this in our market isn’t because they wouldn’t sell; it’s because manufacturers have convinced themselves we won’t buy them. History shows otherwise. Québec embraced the original Le Car, just as it embraced the Micra decades later, a car that proved small hatchbacks still have a place here. The base price of the 5 with the smaller battery is €20,220 ($32,640), while the test vehicle carried a price tag of just over €35,000, or about $56,500 depending on the exchange rate at the time of writing. This figure is provided for reference only.

Alpine unveils hotter version of the Renault 5 E-Tech; calls it A290

Which brings us to the biggest irony: the Renault 5 shares its underlying platform lineage with what should have been the next-generation Electric Nissan Micra, a car that Nissan never brought back to our shores despite clear demand. Somewhere in the strategic shuffle between Nissan and Renault, North America lost out on one of the few genuinely affordable, cheerful small cars left in the portfolio. The new R5 is a reminder of what could have been: a compact, efficient hatchback perfectly sized for our cities and priced for average buyers. Instead, we’re left with crossovers, expensive compacts, and a lineup of EVs that rarely speak to the average Canadian budget.

Yet the nostalgia of the Renault 5 goes beyond its styling. It represents a philosophy where small cars matter, where charm matters, where a daily commuter can put a smile on your face instead of just meeting a range target. Québec understood that in the 1970s and 80s. Many Canadians still understand it today. The R5 shows that the formula still works, and more importantly, that the electric future doesn’t have to be oversized, overpowered, or overpriced.

If Renault ever returned to Canada, the R5 would slide effortlessly back into our streets and our culture. Until that day, it stands as a reminder and a challenge that North America deserves better than a market flooded exclusively with large, expensive EVs. Small cars still have a place here. They always have. The Renault 5 simply proves it again.