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The Driver’s Seat: Henry Catchpole on the Renault 5 E-Tech
The new Renault 5 E-Tech has taken the car world by storm. The sporty EV not only looks fabulous, but it’s also relatively affordable and has decent range. But is it a true Cinq? To find out, Henry Catchpole has paired it up with an original Renault 5 GT Turbo to see if there are any similarities beyond the stylistic. His own Renault Clio 182 makes a brief cameo, too!
The 5 E-Tech’s design—from the office of Gilles Vidal—is the first thing to catch your attention, but you quickly realize that the appeal runs much deeper. For a start, there’s the price, which in the UK is as low as £22,995 (about $29,650 as of this writing). It’s 250-mile range with the larger 52kWh battery is ample for its size and the European market, and at 3194 lbs with the footprint of a Clio 197, it isn’t one of those annoyingly deceptive EVs that looks small but isn’t.
Of course, the new car was also an excellent excuse to have a go in an old GT Turbo. The car in the film is a beautiful 1990 Phase 2 example owned by Andrew Fulcher, and it drives fabulously. It’s a car that remains overshadowed by contemporary competitors like the Peugeot 205 GTI, but driving one today shows that there is a huge amount to love about the Renault. In many respects, it’s better than its more feted French cousin.
Catchpole also delves into the history of the Renault 5 and turns up a reason why the latest E-Tech really should make it across the Atlantic to America. If you haven’t heard of the Lectric Leopard, then you need to watch the film. The campaign for the resurrection of some Le Car branding begins …here!
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