Renault 5 reborn in electric prototype form

The Renault 5 Prototype has been unveiled – a small electric car with a retro feel. The idea, says Gilles Vidal, Renault’s design director, was to create a functional city vehicle that draws on the old icon.

The original Renault 5 was produced from 1972 to 1985, before the company introduced the second generation which was discontinued in 1996. The first gen with its simple boxy shape and distinctive steep-sloping rear was styled by Michel Boué, and became France’s best-selling car between 1972 and 1986.

Many of the old Renault 5 design features have been carried over to the new prototype, such as the shape of the rear and its trapezoid lights. Vidal’s team has also done some clever work to use elements of the old design to conceal new details. The bonnet air intake, for example, hides the charging port. The fog lamps on the front bumper also work as daytime running lights.

But the prototype also includes numerous features that reflect modern trends in the car design world. A narrow LED strip connects the front lamps together with the Renault badge, which itself sits flush in the body work and lights up. The rear lamps are also connected with a light bar that spans the width of the car.

Wheel arches are chunky and clearly defined with edgy body work, and the roof seems to be finished in a textured composite material, as are the bumpers and skirts. No images of the prototype’s interior have been released yet, but the exterior images show a screen that sits astride the dash and greets the front passengers.

The Renault 5 Prototype is the latest revamp of an icon, with many other carmakers doing the same to their old models. Ford has re-released the Bronco, the GMC Hummer EV has been launched, and Tata has brought back the Sierra.