The Renault 5 has received a range boost and a choice of new colours as part of a light update aimed at boosting its competitive edge against new rivals.
After two years on sale, the retro electric supermini has been made more efficient by slicker new mirrors and lower trim, which means both versions now crack slightly more miles per charge.
The entry-level Urban Range variant, with a 40kWh battery, now manages 196 miles officially (up three miles), while the more popular 52kWh Comfort Range version has had its range boosted from 255 to 267 miles.
Renault has also announced that the entry-level car will swap its 40kWh battery for the smaller Twingo‘s 36.5kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) pack in the coming weeks, as previously reported by Autocar.
This is said to be more energy-dense than the current nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery, so the car will concede just six miles of range.
It will be capable of charging at up to 6.6kW domestically or up to 80kW on a public fast charger – slightly slower than the other variant.
LFP batteries are cheaper than NMC ones, but Renault has yet to confirm whether this new entry-level model, dubbed Five, will cost less (if it comes to the UK) than the current cheapest 5, which starts at £21,495.
The technical tweaks come alongside the addition of new personalisation options, including a new shade of red borrowed from the closely related Nissan Micra EV, alongside which the 5 is built in Douai, France.
Buyers can also now specify a star-patterned roof and have the choice of a grey roofline, in addition to red.
Techno and Iconic trims also come with the option of gold wheels, which in combination with the midnight blue paint (below) are reminiscent of those fitted to the 1990s Clio Williams hot hatch.
Inside, the seats in Iconic cars are now finished in blue and grey, rather than yellow.
There’s also a new wireless phone charger, said to be capable of adding 50% of battery to your phone in an hour while preventing overheating.
Plus, the Multi-Sense drive mode selector button has been removed, as the 5 now gets a Smart function that adjusts the driving mode according to throttle inputs.
You can still change between Sport, Eco, Comfort and Individual modes using the touchscreen or voice control.