It seems the days of mid-engine and bonkers Renault hatchbacks are all but reserved for the annals of history unless you consider this retro Renault 5 Turbo 3E EV a suitable replacement?
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The Renault 5 Turbo and Clio V6 have become cult hot hatches for their berserk styling and impressive performance, built atop a shell that vaguely represented the benchmark of the working man’s car. In the new age, electric hot hatches haven’t quite sparked as much enthusiasm and still remain an oddity. The reason for this is open to debate but Renault has decided to embrace the times and present the world with a high-performance version of its upcoming Renault 5 EV, dubbed the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. Bringing back a name steeped in rallying heritage, the Turbo combines the legacy of the original with cutting-edge electric technology.
The naming convention is sure to also garner some criticism, but similarly to Porsche with their non-ICE Taycan Turbo, the Renault 5 will also make use of the ICE component in its name designation to allude to the added performance synonymous with it. While it may look like a concept car, this high-performance hatchback is actually destined for production and true to its 1980s predecessor, it will feature a rear-wheel-drive layout. However, instead of the original mid-mounted four-cylinder engine producing 118 kW, the new Turbo boasts dual electric motors at the rear, delivering over 370 kW. But will the output that has tripled over its predecessor justify the added weight?
Other than a few specs, most details of the model remain undisclosed although the French automaker claims the Turbo will sprint from 0 to 10 km/h in just 3.5 seconds.
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Looking at the exterior, its performance intentions become immediately apparent over the standard Renault 5’s stature. The rear doors are eliminated in favour of side vents, while flared fenders harken back to the original R5 Turbo. Putting that instantaneous torque to the ground are 245/35 ZR20 tyres up front and 275/35 ZR20 at the rear.
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Underneath its bold exterior, the Renault 5 Turbo, like the antecedent of its name, significantly diverges from the standard Renault 5’s front-wheel-drive, single-motor setup. The performance version employs a lightweight “carbon superstructure” for rigidity and weight reduction. While exact weight details haven’t been shared, the earlier Turbo 3E concept tipped the scales at 1.5 tonnes.
The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is expected to be sold in far more limited numbers to its more mundane counterpart but no official targets have been disclosed either, nor has pricing, which can be expected to be placed closer into the clutches of supercars.
