Renault 5 E-Tech Quickly Morphs Into a Fashionable Cabriolet, Albeit Only Digitally

Presented at the lackluster 2024 Geneva Motor Show, the chic French car will be produced at home in France with locally sourced battery packs, so it's understandable, perhaps, why it comes with such quirky accessories as a baguette holder. Many other Easter Eggs are spread throughout the vehicle, including a customizable gear shifter shaped like a lipstick case.

To further prove that good things come in small packages, the company also launched branded merchandise – an old-school cassette player, a slot car track, or a foosball table, among others. However, what really makes it tick is not just the cool styling but also the fact that it has excellent specifications to complement that fresh design language.

The retro-futuristic look is doubled by a throwback frame for the digital instrument cluster and central touchscreen, while the 40-kWh battery pack and the 52-kWh variant tip the scales at 2,976 pounds (1,350 kg) and 3,197 pounds (1,450 kg), respectively. There are no less than three powertrain versions - 70, 90, and 110 kW (94, 121, and 148 hp) to go along with the two versions of the battery pack, and the maximum WLTP range is up to 400 km/249 miles.

Recharging is done at 11 kW (AC) or up to 100 kW at DC stations, meaning the little French car will not stay long there to replenish its electrons. These are some of the basics, but many other small details could make it great, like the unusual multi-link rear independent suspension, bidirectional charging, heat pump, or the big '5' logo on the hood that is also a battery meter indicator. Best of all, Renault targets a base MSRP of about €25k, which is around $27k!

Naturally, some might say there isn't much else you can add or subtract to make it almost perfect. But, of course, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators always begs to differ. This virtual artist, known as Theottle on social media, has recently resorted to CGI slicing and dicing the fresh Renault 5 into a summer ride – an R5 Convertible. Frankly, it's not a bad idea at all, especially if the automaker would like to attract a younger audience.

However, even if Renault's corner office head honchos would consider it, they would probably first wait to see if the revived Renault 5 E-Tech has enough success to warrant a second body style or not. Hopefully, that will be the positive case, as I would love to treat my younglings to an R5 E-Tech Convertible when they turn 18.