First spy shots reveal a more traditional front-end design for Renault’s upcoming electric hatch
The reborn 2024 Renault 5 has been spied testing on public roads for the first time wearing its production-spec body, and it’s clear at least a few key details have changed compared to the concept car that previewed the all-electric French hatchback.
Easily the most obvious of these changes is the black intake and trim insert on the front fascia, which replace the concept’s solid set-up and illuminated ‘RENAULT’ lettering.
It also seems the show car’s guppy front-side intakes have been replaced by blacked-out fog light bezels, while the concept’s square daytime running lights have also been binned.
These key changes combine to make the production-spec Renault 5’s front-end look a lot more like that of its classic predecessor’s, with next to no upper grille, blocky headlights and a rectangular lower intake flanked on either side by a set of fog lights.
Very little has been altered in terms of the striking Renault 5 concept’s side profile and detailing, with the same adventurous proportions and body surfacing transferring to the production version, save for the latter’s shark-fin antenna and mildly exacerbated rear spoiler.
It’s a similar story at the rear, in that all the key features look familiar but have been subtly massaged into a more functional and homologation-friendly form – namely the more chiselled tailgate and tweaked tail-light clusters.
A direct successor for the retiring Renault Zoe, the 2024 Renault 5 will be underpinned by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s new CMB-B EV platform and feature a multi-link rear suspension set-up in the name of agility.
Power is expected to come from a single electric motor good for roughly 115kW, in line with competitors in the compact EV market, leaving plenty of breathing room for the circa-160kW, Alpine A290-badged hot hatch derivative.
An effective driving range of about 400km is on the cards for the Renault 5, which will be launched in Europe sometime next year but is yet to be confirmed for Australia.
Renault 5 concept
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Keyword: Production version of Renault 5 to look more like the original