Renault 5 small EV to debut in Geneva

PARIS -- The Renault brand will show the production version of the Renault 5 small EV at the 2024 Geneva auto show, group CEO Luca de Meo said, as it rolls out a new generation of affordable electric vehicles.

The retro-styled Renault 5 will be priced “at around 25,000 euros,” the automaker said. It will have up to 400 km of range and will feature an infotainment avatar called Reno that is powered by AI. 

It will be built in Renault’s ElectriCity factory complex in northern France that is now a part of Ampere, the group’s EV spinoff. De Meo discussed the Geneva debut for the Renault 5 here last Wednesday at a capital markets day to promote an IPO for Ampere.

Renault Group is the only major European automaker to fully commit to the Geneva auto show, which has not been held since 2019.

The annual event was canceled at the last minute in 2020 because of coronavirus restrictions. However, the contentious nature of that cancellation -- organizers invoked a “force majeure” clause -- soured relations with automakers, and the show could not attract enough exhibitors in 2021 and 2022.

Renault Group will also debut the new-generation Dacia Duster small SUV. 

Between 30 and 40 automotive brands are expected to attend next year's show, organizers said, adding that a full list of exhibitors will be released about a month ahead of the show, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 26-March 3.

German automakers such as BMW and Audi have said they will skip the show.

The Renault 5 was first shown in concept form in 2021. Its name and general silhouette recall the original Renault 5, a minicar that was in production from 1972 until 1996, with upgrades. More than eight million were sold.

It will be followed in 2025 by the Renault 4 small full-electric EV, also on the AmpR Small platform.

The Renault 5 will replace the Zoe small EV in the brand's lineup. It will compete with small EVs from Stellantis brands, including the Peugeot e-208 and Opel/Vauxhall Astra-e, although those two models start in the mid-30,000 euro range.

Other competitors at a similar price point include the coming Citroen New e-C3, which will debut at 23,300 euros, and a potential sibling model from Fiat. Volkswagen and Tesla are also expected to unveil lower-cost EVs.