Apart from the wheels I like the styling, look forward as normal to your review.

I've said this before and will no doubt do so again, but the 5 E Tech is a massive disappointment to me due to the lack of space for rear passengers.

The fact that everyone is waxing lyrical over its looks, brushing over the fact that the rear seats are borderline unusable, apart from the very small, just shows how totally image centred most people have become. The Suzuki Swift is a smaller car in every measurement but can actually fit adults (with their legs and feet!) on the rear seats. And yes you could say that Renault have to put the battery under the floor so there has to be a compromise, but is that really the case?. In going from ICE to electric, rear space in the e 208 and e Corsa are not affected at all as the battery pack is under the rear seats. Even if the battery had to go under the floor, the modular nature of them means that a "well" could have been made so rear passengers feet could fit under the back of the front seats. This was the problem on the Zoe and the main reason we didn't get one at our last change of car, but Renault have done nothing at all to rectify it.

Seems that designers have become very lazy these days, better to make small cars bigger than use intelligent design to liberate more interior space like Suzuki do on the Swift and Ignis. And cars which are more image orientated like the Mini and this new 5, well interior space doesn't matter at all (other than driver and front passenger), as long as they look cool and desirable!

Anyway, rant over, as you were!

Edited by badbusdriver on 31/01/2025 at 08:23

"new to market EV and the input required to cause just one degree of twist is immense."

Is that perhaps because batteries can't be allowed to flex as they may be damaged (and become unsafe), whereas an ICE can be allowed to flex as no damage will result?

I had a quick look at the Renault website to see what the 5 looked like (as is common, no still images). Reminds me of the MINI in as much as it's "designer" with a long established name. Also looked at the 4 - certainly not the utilitarian car it once was i.e. "designer".

Well, after a week of hooning around Millbrook in one, I’ve now driven one home and have it for the next week. My only on road experience so far is s fairly grim slog up the M1/M6/M56/M60 last night, but it’s pretty refined on a motorway run, rides nicely and has good seats. When I drove it a couple of weeks ago, I was a bit concerned that the driver’s seat was set s little high, but I’ve now got that lowered to a better position for me, obviously at the expense of rear passengers’ foot space. As usual with Renault, it’s an Android-based infotainment system that just works - physical buttons are retained for heater controls, but in reality you just set the A/C to Auto and voice command Google to raise or lower the temperature if needed. An additional feature I’ve not yet had chance to play with is an on-screen Avatar called Reno who pops up on screen when called for. He’s powered by ChatGPT and will provide next level interaction. My car is in Pop Yellow, and I’m expecting lots of double takes from passers-by and other drivers this week.

Looking forward to updates on this one.

One thing I'm curious about though. I presume it won't come with a spare, but is there a spare wheel well in the boot?

In fact, do any EV's (at the more affordable end of the market) have a spare wheel well? It's not something you tend to hear mentioned by reviewers.

I find the retro aspect a bit odd. How many people under the age of 40 will have a meaningful memory of the Renault 5? It's been out of production rising 30 years. The Fiat 500 sold well so we will have to see.

Flared jeans coming back soon?

Er - I saw some flared jeans in M&S the other day. I think they are already on their way.........

Charging cable stored under the boot floor? Quite clearly not the right solution.

How often are you actually going to use it though? Most home chargers are tethered and when using public charging you are far more likely to use CCS.

You'll only probably use it when using an untethered type 2 public charger which are out there but far from the most common.

‘ Charging cable stored under the boot floor? Quite clearly not the right solution.’ Where would you store it? In reality, I’m not going to use it for the time I’ve got the car - I’ll be using public chargers with tethered cables. So it can stay neatly away in its easily accessible compartment. Edit: Unless you’re thinking it’s slung underneath like a Peugeot spare wheel?

It needs to be accessible with a boot full of luggage - otherwise long journeys become even less practical.

Whoops a daisy! I'd been told you have to use your own charging cable at public chargers because if everyone uses the cable that's there it would end up getting damaged, too much of a risk with all the high voltage elctricity going through it.

Please enlighten me as to how public charge points work. Thanks.