The Renault 5 subcompact electric hatchback will debut next year and will be the first to carry the new CMF-B EV modular platform. Today, the French company revealed some of the features of this platform.
The French company showed the prototype of the new Renault 5 in 2021, its design is inspired by the historical ancestor of the same name, which was produced from 1972 to 1996 and became one of the most popular cars in France, making a brilliant sports career along the way. The new, electric Renault 5 will enter the European market in 2024 and will replace the battery-powered Renault Zoe hatchback, which has lost ground over the past two years against more recent and high-tech competitors.
The prototype of the new Renault 5 (right) and its historical ancestor (left)
The electric Renault 5 is based on the new CMF-B EV modular platform, which is 70% unified with the related CMF-B “hydrocarbon trolley” (on which the European Clio and Captur are built). Clio-packed Renault 5 test mules have been plowing European roads and test sites since last autumn, including in northern Sweden above the Arctic Circle. The Renault 5 will be about 30% cheaper to produce than the Renault Zoe, which will allow for a price tag that is comfortable for the consumer (about 20,000 euros in the basic configuration).
The CMF-B EV platform has a 400V architecture. The front-mounted electromagnetically excited synchronous motor does not require any rare earth metals and is approximately 20 kg lighter than the Zoe electric motor. The electric motor in Renault 5 is combined into one module with a gearbox, inverter and charger, the power range has not yet been disclosed. />
The battery is built into the floor of the body and gives it additional rigidity, it consists of four modules, and not twelve, like the Zoe, which reduced the weight by 15 kg. The range of battery capacity has also not been disclosed yet, but theoretically the capacity can reach 90 kWh, and the range on a single charge is 700 km, although it is unlikely that even the top versions of the “five” will have such figures.
The front suspension of the new Renault 5 is of the McPherson type, the rear is an independent multi-link, and not a semi-independent with a torsion beam, which is very like French manufacturers of inexpensive cars. The sophisticated rear suspension is designed with a focus on refined handling and a hot Alpine-branded version of the hatchback, which is also expected to debut in 2024. Alpine's version will compete with the Abarth 500e hot hatch introduced last November.
New Renault 5 1/2 prototype New Renault 5 2/2 prototype
The CMF-B EV platform will also be in The next generation Nissan Micra (expected in 2024) and the Renault 4 crossover (2025).