The big-selling Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is getting more miles between charges and a fresh batch of technology for 2027, but the price tag is staying put. Order books are now open for the updated car, with changes covering both battery options, the way you choose your driving mode and even how your phone keeps its cool.
Prices still start at £21,495 on the road, and Renault says the 5 continues to qualify for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant. The four-model line-up stays in place, with Evolution followed by Techno+, Iconic Five+ and Roland Garros+, although some of the new colour choices will follow later in the year.
Those extra miles come courtesy of changes to the aerodynamics, with the lower body and door mirrors tweaked to help the car slip through the air more easily. Renault has also improved the battery electronics, with the changes combined to increase the distance both battery versions can cover between charges.
The entry-level Evolution uses Renault’s Urban Range setup, pairing a 40kWh battery with a 118bhp motor for a maximum claimed range of 197 miles. The other three versions get the Comfort Range combination of a 52kWh battery and 148bhp motor, now with a maximum claimed range of 259 miles. That gives the larger-battery models a handy nine mile range boost.
There’s a change to driving modes, too. A new Smartmode setting automatically switches between eco, comfort and sport according to how the car is being driven. The idea is that the car changes its responses as the journey changes, without the driver having to keep switching to a different setting. Renault gives the example of the car going from sport’s sharper responses when you accelerate to overtake, before moving back to eco as the pace drops through a town or village.
There’s one physical change alongside the new Smartmode: the dedicated multi-sense button has been removed from the steering wheel. Drivers can still choose their preferred mode through the central touchscreen or by voice command.
Phones get some attention as well, with a new magnetic wireless charger that has cooling to help prevent your phone from overheating. It uses the Qi2 charging standard and, Renault says, can restore up to 50 per cent of a compatible phone’s battery in an hour. The emergency call system has also been updated to work with newer 4G and 5G mobile networks.
Google’s Gemini AI assistant is joining the car through an optional wireless software update to Google Assistant. Renault says it allows occupants to hold more natural, ongoing conversations with the system, including interrupting an answer or switching languages midway through. That means you won’t have to stick to a set of rigid voice commands when speaking to the assistant, which becomes part of the Google technology already built into the car’s touchscreen system.
The colour changes reach inside the car, too, where Iconic Five+ swaps its previous yellow upholstery for a mottled blue design. There are also smaller changes to materials and stitching elsewhere in the range.
There’s more colour on the way outside, too, with Flame Red and Shadow Grey paint joining the range later this year, alongside new sticker packs for buyers who want to add their own finishing touches. Midnight Blue cars in Techno+ and Iconic Five+ trim now have a contrasting red roofline.
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