Louth Motors: Renault 5 E-Tech is a magical, fun-to-drive electric hatch

Test driving cars every week affords you a bit of shorthand in assessing cars quite quickly. On sight, first sit-in and driving impressions formed generally last. It’s like when a person gets into a taxi of a car model they've never been in before and can make an instant assessment that's usually summarised by "this is nice” and is a rapid measurement against every car they've ever been in before. Well for me in the all-electric Renault 5 after 2 mins driving it I said to myself this is magical. For the rest of the test I made a mental note to find flaws with my immediate conclusion to maintain total impartiality. It was hard, believe me.

For a start the beautiful looks of the R5 are a very modern take on a classic silhouette. Renault has nailed what Fiat did with the 500 and the retro look can be deemed a total success. The design highlights are the number 5 branding and charge indicator on the bonnet, the sculpted rear lights, the two door look despite being a 5 door, the squared daytime running lights and the glorious R5 signature line that's called La Ligne Rouge which runs around the roof of the car and makes the R5 uniquely standout in traffic and the car park.

Back of the Renault 5 E-Tech

I haven't met anyone who doesn't like the R5. Every time I recharged, people came up to me admiring the car. One lady who had just bought a premium electric car said she'd have bought the R5 instead if she knew it was going to be sold. (Note to all - Do your research well beforehand).

Nostalgia wasn't reserved for the outside as the inside of the R5 is modern, retro techno. Everything, as my carpenter dad would say, is squared off for a chunky look. Materials are excellent and the digital offerings - both drivers and central - are excellent with welcome actual control switches included. For front passengers visibility and space are excellent and allows full enjoyment of the car’s technology and performance with excellent seats.

Those flaws now. Back seat passengers will gripe about the legroom and I’m talking all adults of all sizes. I got some windnoise from the driver's window. There is no P position on the selector - when it clearly looks like there is one - which is now achieved by selecting N and then pulling the handbrake button and is unnecessarily finicky. I did however get my bike in for a cycling trip but I had to take the front wheel off. The boot at 277 litres is grand for the intended buyers of this car and also has a nifty cable storage compartment.

These all disappear when you drive the car though. It forgives everything. I haven't driven a car in a while that felt so planted and secure on the road. The 150hp motor powering mine was perfect in delivering the pace I’d needed and was way more than adequate. It cornered on skates and Renault has easily delivered the best driving electric car I’ve driven. And it's a hatchback and it's beautiful, and it's priced between €25,995 and €32,995 across 2 battery sizes 40kWh/52kW and has three trim levels. Even a darts player is limited to three bullseyes but the R5 keeps scoring. It’s a flickable car and has a real GTi feel about it. You don't need hundreds of bhp to have supreme fun and the R5 proves that.

Interior of the Renault 5 E-Tech

Renault has set the benchmark now for electric car handling and when manufacturers respond to compete we could be in for a glorious time in electric, indeed any, cars. Who knew a lightweight, small electric car could be so much fun? Eh, everyone Sherlock.

Renault claims 300km and 410km from the two battery sizes. It’ll take 30mins to go from 15% to 80% battery and the max charge intake is 100kW. I managed 16.3 during my time with this epically fun car for a real world range of 321kms - not at all bad.

Read Next: Louth sees rise in incidents of theft from shops

Renault has found the best palette of colours to show off the R5 with different coloured roofs if you prefer as well as a good assortment of 5 decals. Mine was in a mesmerising Pop Green which had sparkles in it with a black roof and a red roof line that’s not for the shy or shrinking. How long before someone gets it in Midnight Blue and sends the alloy wheels off to get them sprayed with matching gold like the La Ligne Rouge - I would.

Very few cars these days score, if at all, in the look back category. That's where you look back at the car you’ve just got out of. I did it everytime I got out of the R5 and know I’d do that every time if I owned one. I would not be alone in doing that.
But the R5 has something else that very few cars have. Every drive is an utter joy. For me the R5 is one of the best cars of any propulsion method on sale today and may well add the Irish Car of the Year crown to its European Crown later this year. My initial assessment was spot on for sure.