Renault Goes Retro with Fully-Electric new '5'

If you love a bit of motoring nostalgia, then you’ll love this - a new fully-electric version of the infamous Renault 5.

If you’re of a certain vintage, chances are you knew a family that owned a Renault 5, a little hatchback that first made an appearance back in the 70s before going on to become a bona fide cult classic.

You might even have had a poster on your wall of the Renault 5 GT Turbo, a mid-80s hot-hatch version that’s now commanding five figure fees among collectors.

Renault now plans to tap into that sentiment with a new all-electric Renault 5, which is due to be built in the same French factory, located in the northern town of Douai, as the original.

And these first-look pics show what lease customers might have in store.

The bad news is that while the Renault 5 will go into production, it might take a year or two before they become available - meaning you might want to look at Renault’s other all-electric cars, such as the compact Zoe or the Kangoo ZE van, in the meantime.

So, what can we expect from the refreshed Renault 5?

First up, Renault describes it as ‘charming, compact, city car’, with Gilles Vidal, Renault Design Director, adding: “The design of the Renault 5 Prototype is based on the R5, a cult model of our heritage. This prototype simply embodies modernity, a vehicle relevant to its time: urban, electric, attractive.”

In the coming months Renault plans to launch an all-electric version of its Megane hatchback, which will feature a new electric 160 kW motor and a 60 kW battery capable of delivering up to 217 bhp.

If the Renault 5 shares that platform, then you can expect a fun ride, particularly if there’s to be another hot hatch variant in the works.

Renault has also made sure there are design nods to the original 5 - particularly where it comes to the distinctive ‘winking headlights’.

Exterior designer Nicolas Jardin reveals: “Everything started from the lines, angles and radii of the elements of the front of the original R5. Then, during the sketches, the headlights completely changed in their proportions as well as their design.”

Reinforcing this idea that the new 5 needs to put smiles on faces, he also adds: “To be a worthy heir to the R5, the car had to become expressive and lively. We have succeeded with the prototype, a true object of modern design, embodying the Renault ‘joie de vivre’.”

We’ll bring you all the latest updates on the Renault 5 as and when they arrive.

But if you’re looking for a small city car with distinctive, retro lines - and which you can lease right now - then you need to take a look at the all-electric Honda e.

It doesn’t have the greatest range in the market, being able to travel 137 miles between charges, but what it lacks in distance it makes up for in style.

The design takes its cue from Honda Civics of the 1970s while the interior is truly futuristic, coming with a set of infotainment screens.