All-new 2024 Renault 5 EV leaked

The production-spec 2024 Renault 5 E-Tech has been outed ahead of its unveiling at the Geneva motor show this week, with the early images revealing just how true the small electric hatch stays to the original 2021 concept.

Posted on social media over the weekend, the leaked images of the French brand’s MINI Cooper Electric rival keep the concept’s sporty proportions, wheels and even the bright yellow paintwork.

Detail changes include the introduction of upturned crescent-shaped LED headlights, prominent charging indicator on the bonnet, cool hot hatch-style flared rear wheel-arches and the neat vertically stacked 3D LED tail-lights and full-width light bar.

The images also show the Renault 5 will feature a stretched pillbox-wide air intake that sits below three slim slats, while the illuminated diamond logo will no longer feature up front.

Other highlights include side air curtain intakes and square pseudo fog lamps that feature daytime running lamps around the outer edges.

The rear door handles are hidden within the C-pillars, while the charging port looks like it will be located on the passenger side’s front fender.

A pair of conventional-looking front door handles have also sprouted in place of the concept’s pop-out items.

Red elements along the gutter and rear tailgate spoiler emphasise the sporty theme, while at the rear there’s a slim grey bar (instead of a red LED light bar) that interlinks the two vertically stacked rear lamps.

Inside, the R5 gets twin screens for the instrument panel and infotainment system, a multifunction steering wheel and a fabric-wrapped dash that hints at the first-gen Renault 5.

Mustard-coloured fabric covering the seats and door cards also looks inspired by the original French supermini first introduced back in 1972.

Beneath the skin, the French brand has also confirmed that the R5 will be the first car to be based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s all-new CMF-B EV architecture created specifically for small EVs.

Slashing costs, the new underpinnings share as much as 70 per cent of parts from the CMF-B combustion platform that’s used for the current Renault Clio.

That, according to Renault, makes the R5 up to 30 per cent cheaper to build compared to the Renault ZOE – a hint the baby Renault EV could come with cut-throat pricing.

Despite being developed to cut costs, the new architecture still gets a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension.

Kilo-cutting has also been at the top of the agenda with engineers pioneering a new split power pack that divides the 52kWh battery into four modules for an enhanced energy density and less weight, with the novel arrangement said to slash 20kg alone off the Renault Zoe EV’s traditional battery.

A further 20kg is saved by integrating the charger converter and electronics into one casing, while an even lighter 40kWh battery will be offered for the cheapest versions.

The bigger battery will provide for a WLTP-verified range of around 400km.

When launched, it’s thought the most basic Renault 5 will come with a single 100kW electric motor that will drive the front wheels.

That doesn’t sound like much, but a hot hatch version – as recently previewed by the Alpine A290 winter testing – will arrive later with a more powerful 160kW electric motor.

When it lands, the Alpine-branded A290 baby hot hatch will rival the Abarth 500e, explaining why it will also bag sports suspension and a more aggressive body kit.

Once introduced, the R5 will launch some fresh tech for the brand and will be the first Renault capable of bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging.

Following its debut at the Geneva show, the 2024 Renault 5 is expected to go on sale in France shortly after with pricing that will kick off at around €25,000 ($A41,000).

It’s hoped more details will be released at the Swiss motor show, including arrival times for the Australian market.

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