Why the Renault 4 and 5 EVs are going to save the world, not Orange Donald or Annoying Elon | Opinion

January 30, 2025January 30, 2025 Iain Curry 359 Views 0 Comments Opinion, Renault 4, renault 5, retro ev

It’s bold to suggest a duo of retro-styled small electric cars are going to save humanity.

But that’s what the Renault 5 and Renault 4 are going to do, and not simply because they’re EVs rather than fossil-fuel suckers.

Crucially, these fun Frenchies are going to help spark a collective realisation that not everything must be shit.

Remember those days? Like in the 1970s and 1980s? Half the world wasn’t at war, you weren’t slave to a smartphone, houses and a pub schooner were affordable, and we weren’t reminded every ten seconds that climate change has us doomed.

Owning an R5 or R4 – or even seeing such design triumphs on our streets – will help those of a certain age hark back to happier times. And do better.

2025 Renault 5 E-Tech – beauty in everyday things to boost our collective cheer.

Why? Because these Renault EVs are fun and beautiful and kinda cheap – and lots of folk are going to buy them. If such things are in your daily life they act like a happy pill, boosting your positivity and goodwill, which in turn rubs off on others.

Ergo, the world’s a better place.

If Putin ditched his armoured black Aurus and instead took the family out in a retro Renault 4, fond memories of summers in Sochi may soften his stance on nuclear oblivion.

The Renault 5 EV’s on-sale in Europe, and has already begun its noble work.

Last month it was France’s second best-selling EV (just behind the Tesla Model Y), with buyers drawn to its delicious body, retro-heaven cabin and solid city EV credentials including a 300km+ range.

It will save and boost manufacturing and jobs there. The R5 is made in Douai, France, showing how the rest of the world can build affordable EVs, not just China.

Its price helps. At €25,000 or £22,995 (about $42-46,000 in Australia), the R5 is the same price as Renault’s petrol Captur SUV, and you’re likelier to experience a rush of joyfulness with the edgy EV on your driveway.

It’s the affordable electric desirable many have been waiting for, and it really needs to land in Australia soon, ideally for close to $40k. Still no word on its exact arrival date here, btw.

In contrast, I’ve spoken to numerous BYD Dolphin and MG4 owners, and some (not all) have been almost apologetic about buying them. Reasonable EVs, but purchased for their cheapness rather than for anything resembling love or passion. This, in turn, makes people hate their life choices.

The R5’s different. It’s a design to get happy about because it doesn’t stray far from the delightful 1972 original. And why the hell would you?

There’s the retro ‘5’ numbers, bright inserts on 1980s-esque bolstered seats, a padded dashboard and headliner, and brilliant heritage linear diamond Renault logo on its gear selector stalk.

2025 Renault 5 interior. — 2025 Renault 5 superbly blends old-school touches with modern tech. Bravo, Frenchies.

The entry-level R5’s steel rims with “Disco” hubcaps pay homage to the 1980’s Renault 5 Turbo, showing Renault just gets it. There are Gen X-ers who’ve spoken loudest during the creative process here, and that’s bloody brilliant.

On another matter, Renault’s also going to help save the world because – at under 1500kg – the R5 weighs half as much as Tesla’s Cybertruck.

Ah, Elon’s baby.

Billionaire Trump and gazillionaire Musk may preach they’re working for the betterment of mankind, but then they get busy threatening to invade Greenland, or building vehicles with the aesthetic beauty of a 1960s tower block.

Instead, the “Renaulution” of reimagined gems from the French brand’s back catalogue put up a more convincing argument for planet saving. More so than a Cybertruck, which looks awfully like an RSL’s urinal to me.

We’ll just try to look past over two million folk pre-ordering one.

2025 Renault 4 E-Tech’s column gear shift stalk is a delight for the old school.

More world saving comes when the Renault 4 SUV arrives later this year. Why? Because young folk are offered alternative hobbies to video games in dark bedrooms, looting Apple stores or staging coups.

At the Paris Motor Show alongside the new R4, Renault displayed a lightweight (560kg) mini-caravan, 1980s-styled electric scrambler bike and electric “water e-bike” with retro design cues.

Get the kids out doing that sort of stuff and they’re far more likely to become happier, considerate citizens. They may even help someone who’s getting bashed instead of filming the violence for likes on TwitterX.

Anyway, the Renault 4 and 5 can save the world just by being. Designer William Morris reminded us we must have beauty in everyday things to give life meaning, and where better to start than the car?

Fifty years ago our streets were awash with Minis, Beetles, Falcons and fun-filled Holden panel vans: it was an aesthetically richer time, and as any old legend will tell you, we were all a lot happier back in them days.

Only time will tell what drags our world back from the abyss. Will it be the Trump/Musk Dream Team? Right wing governments? A.I.? TikTok?

I stand by the R4 and R5 having a better chance.

1975 Renault 5 range. Despite the early sill rust, life was better back then.

Iain Curry

A motoring writer and photographer for two decades, Iain started in print magazines in London as editor of Performance BMW and features writer for BMW Car, GT Porsche and 4Drive magazines. His love of motor sport and high performance petrol cars was rudely interrupted in 2011 when he was one of the first journalists to drive BMW's 1 Series ActiveE EV, and has been testing hybrids, PHEVs and EVs for Australian newspapers ever since. Based near Noosa in Queensland, his weekly newspaper articles cover new vehicle reviews and consumer advice, while his photography is regularly seen on the pages of glossy magazines.