Written by Ryan Gilmore and Keith Adams Published: 16 September 2025

The Renault 5 E-Tech is a firm favourite here at Parkers, and it looks to all the makings of the perfect small EV. Our car buying editor, Ryan Gilmore (below), is running one to see whether this chic supermini is all mouth and no trousers or a groundbreaking step towards electric cars becoming the norm.

Update 1: Welcome

Introducing the Renault 5 E-Tech Iconic 52kWh

I have never experienced such palpable, visceral jealousy from my colleagues than when my new Renault 5 E-Tech rocked up – and I love it.

The Renault 5 E-Tech is the hot-ticket car of 2025. It looks utterly fantastic no matter what spec it comes in; we’ve loved it across all our testing and currently rate it as the best small car.

And after six months with a Suzuki Swift, I was excited to compare notes on two very different takes on the supermini formula. The Swift was as old-school as new small cars came, while the 5 E-Tech is cutting-edge retro-futurism.

And it would also serve as an interesting test of how well the car would cope as my primary form of transport compounded by my lack of access to a home charger. It’s not going to be spoon-fed.

What you get with a Renault 5 E-Tech Iconic

I’ve got the range-topping Iconic model which currently retails for £28,995. It’s a bells-and-whistle experience as far as superminis go, and my experiences so far have confirmed that it’s an upmarket take on the small car formula.

Here are five notable features that stand out so far:

• Heat pump – This is standard issue on the Renault 5, and I applaud Renault for adding it. It uses otherwise-wasted heat from the battery to heat the interior which is far more energy-efficient than heaters.

• Vehicle-to-load charging – Also standard-fit, this tech means I have a three-pin adapter I can plug into the charging port and use the car to charge whatever I want. It does mean I can’t use it if I also want to charge the car up though.

• Built-in Google – I’m shocked at how quickly I’ve adopted the in-built system as an iPhone owner. It’s slick and intuitive, but the efficiency route on Google Maps loves to send me down the M25 to sit in a traffic jam.

• Keycard – There’s no key with the Renault 5, a blessing and a curse. The keycard is slim, and the keyless go is good. The keycard activation pad being buried in the cupholder is not.

• Driving modes – I leave it in Comfort most of the time, mainly because it bathes the interior in yellow ambient lighting. Perso, Sport, and Eco modes are also there, but I rarely bother.  

My car is finished in standard Diamond Black paint with a red accent and sits on 18-inch diamond-cut alloys. The interior is 100% recycled grey and yellow fabric with splashes of synthetic leather. Renault has vowed to go vegan by the end of 2025 and doesn’t currently offer any animal-derived upholstery in the UK.

As for options, there’s a removable storage box that sits on top of the central cupholders (£11 plus £32 for the snazzy lid) and an actual baguette holder that clips to the centre console. It’s made of wicker, costs £120 and I think it’s so gratuitously cool that I’ll overlook that it’s possible to get a new pair of Apple AirPods for the same price.

Impressions so far?

I am happy to report it’s not all hype, the Renault 5 E-Tech has slotted effortlessly into my life and I am in love.

It’s great fun to drive. It has all the characteristics I love about a small car, but with the grin-inducing instant torque offered by the electric motors. It’s nippy, sharp and even rewarding on a windy country road. The ride is slightly firmer than I expected, but I don’t think it ever borders on uncomfortable.

I love the interior. It feels and looks so premium, especially after my time in the tough-but-cheap Suzuki Swift. The infotainment system is excellent and intuitive to use, there’s interesting materials dotted around and good storage space on offer.

It also draws attention. I’ve been approached and asked more questions about it than about any other test car I’ve ever driven in the three weeks I’ve been running it. People are genuinely enthused by this charismatic little EV and want to know what it’s like to live with. I should probably send them a link to this page…

Any negatives?

Get out the Hedrin because I am nitpicking so far. I think the window switches on the driver’s door are set too far forward. It’s embarrassing accidentally putting the rear window down when I mean to drop the driver’s.

a recent heatwave has also exposed that the yellow recycled seat fabric does get quite hot, and even slightly scratchy if you’re pressing exposed skin against the fabric. Admittedly, a 36-degree day isn’t a common occurrence here in the UK, but the backs of my knees wanted it mentioned.

The rear seats haven’t been used yet but even with my more economical height (5’7″) doesn’t leave a lot of legroom for anyone sat behind me. There’s always the larger Renault 4 E-Tech for rear space though.

Update 2: And I would drive 200 miles  

It’s a real trial by fire for Ryan and his 5 E-Tech – a dreaded early morning jaunt to the airport.

I’d not even had the keycard to my Renault 5 E-Tech 24 hours when it was time to see just how far it could travel on a single charge. The test was simple – would it be possible to take my 5 on a run from Peterborough to Heathrow and then back again on a single charge? The round trip was 202 miles and the WLTP figure for the 5 show an official range of 248 miles, which is more than 202 miles. Should be easy then, right?

Fuelled by a double espresso and a desire to not miss a flight, I set off in the early morning for just outside London. The car was 98% full when I set off and for good measure I put it in Eco mode. Roads were quiet at this time, so pace wasn’t an issue, but I found my range disintegrated quicker than I expected as I barrelled down the A1 at 70mph. I quickly discovered the 5 is far more energy efficient hovering around 60mph, something I utilised for the rest of the trip (where legal obviously).  

Eventually the M25 beaconed, with its variable speed cameras and endless stream of roadworks. It was when bouncing between 40 and 50mph that the range calculations were most efficient, quickly indicating I’d have 115 miles by the time I’d reach the car park. And it was accurate; I parked with 47% of my battery left.

And coming back?

A day sat in a carpark left the car with 45% battery. I was eager to beat the traffic, get home in good time and avoid having to charge the 5. But then I was thrust into the world’s longest car park, the M25. Things that had a quicker average speed than me through these parts include snails and evolution. But, with the car in B (brake regen mode to capture energy with every slow down) it barely chewed through any electricity at all, something that can’t be said of the older petrol and diesel cars around me which happily chugged away at fuel.

By the time I’d managed to leave the M25 behind I was considerably older and facing 35% battery – meaning I was confident that reaching Peterborough without stopping would be possible. Everything was peachy as the miles trickled away in the evening sun, along with the remaining battery. It was how I imagine an epic ‘80s US road trip would have felt; just with Tom Petty in better audio quality (the Renault’s Arkamys speakers are good), and no burbling V8 engine note.

Then my mind turned to what would happen next. I don’t have a home charger, so if I was able to squeak it home on 1%, I’d be stuck with a very chic but immobile brick the next day. So, it was with a heavy heart I pulled in for some electricity as I reached the A1. I chickened out at 15%, more for the convenience of a fast charger than range anxiety.  

Which means – with some rather warped logic applied – yes, you can drive the Renault 5 E-Tech from Peterborough to Heathrow and back on a single charge. Which, in more serious consumer journalism speak, means – if you don’t mind life in the slow lane, a real-world range of 200 miles is possible

Anything else?

I’d like to give a special commendation to the built-in Google infotainment and how well it predicts the battery percentage at the end point of a trip. I default to Waze as my navigation app of choice, but the Google system is so slick and well-integrated, that I’ve become a convert.

There’s only been one time it infuriated me, and surprise, surprise, it involved the M25. A subsequent trip down to Sussex saw me stuck on the M25 in a jam, before Google Maps politely offered to slice a hefty 40 minutes off my journey if I didn’t mind losing an extra 4% of battery range. I understand that it looks for the most efficient route possible, but my fuse was cut far too thin by that point to appreciate that.

As an aside, I’ve finally used the baguette holder as it’s intended. It’s such a joyous, unnecessary extra that serves to make the 5 just that little bit cooler.

Renault 5 E-Tech Iconic 52kWh
Current mileage	3,701 (2,700 when delivered)
Real world efficiency	3.9 miles per kWh
Parkers real-world range	200 miles
Car joined Parkers fleet	June 2025