5, 4… 3, 2, 1? Renault’s central role in the triumphant return of the small European car

Renault is having more fun with the R4, keeping the 5 as a halo product (soon to burnished even further by the Turbo 3E) with a purity of form and presence. The 4, on the other hand, has already spawned a couple of concepts, the 2023 4EVER Trophy and the 2026 JP4x4 Concept, both playing into the car’s more upright, 4x4-focused stance. The former evokes the original R4’s rallying history, while the latter is a contemporary update of a beach buggy/surf wagon.

After a fortnight spent in Renault’s new 4 and 5, the conclusion is inescapable. Small EVs are not just here to stay but they’re the most useful and appropriate application of the entire technology. But what about space and range and performance, we hear you cry? Surely hefty-platformed SUVs with multiple rows of seats and capacious amounts of kWh are what’s needed to make the most of this ever-advancing technology?

Certainly in Europe, small cars have always hewed closest to the everyday use case of the vast majority of drivers. EU stats show that the average daily miles driven maxes out in Germany, with 19km per passenger, going down to just 5.6km in Greece. If a car is a necessity, then small, efficient, and attractive is the way to go.

What has changed is affordability and desirability. Car prices have steadily risen this century, with smaller cars becoming disproportionately more expensive as manufacturers eschew bare bones simplicity in favour of high levels of equipment and better-quality materials. When EVs first arrived, the inevitable cost of batteries pushed up these prices even more, initially precluding small cars from benefitting from the technology. Renault’s first ‘compact’ EV, the Zoe, was offered with a battery that had to be leased to offset the initial purchase price.

This finance model hasn’t survived falling battery prices. Chinese firms led the way by leveraging the economies of scale to create a number of sub-£20k small EVs. It’s taken older European brands a little longer to find the resources to create competitors that – if they can’t quite beat the Far East on cost – offer a far more attractive route into electrification.

Partly this is down to heritage. Renault, Peugeot, Citroën and Fiat were at the vanguard of compact car design in the post-war era, shaping what we know consider to be icon after icon, even if at the time they were simply seen as unique, affordable and highly desirable small cars.

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By bottling some of that nostalgia and fusing it with the next generation of EV platforms, these self-same companies have taken giant strides in re-shaping the modern EV market. The past few years have seen the electrified return of the Renaults 4, 5 and Twingo, Fiat’s 500, 600 and Panda, along with Peugeot’s reputation for hot hatchback magic and the upcoming revival of none other than the Citroën 2CV. Throw in the BMW Mini-E and a number of similarly attractive offerings like the Dacia Hipster concept and Hyundai Inster, and what you have is an undeniable revival.

The modern definition of a small car certainly does not mean like for like. The electric 5 is shade shorter than 4m long (the 4 a little larger at 4.144m), a substantial increase on the 3.5m long original (for reference, the contemporary Topolino is just 2.5m long, versus the 3.2m length of the original Fiat 500). There’s more legroom in the 4, thanks to its longer wheelbase; the 5 is a little bit cramped for four adults.

Both Renaults feel compact and nimble, certainly when compared with the better-selling SUV sector. To drive, the 5 is much more spirited than the slightly softer 4, even if the near-identical cabins don’t do much to differentiate the feel of the dash. The info screens aren’t overwhelming, graphics are bright and dynamic without being frustrating, and sit’s simple to switch off nagging alerts. There are also physical switches for heating, ventilation and volume, although the angular gear selector stalk feels a little bit flimsy.

Neither car offers a revolution in the way of available range – both share the same 52 kwh battery (with a smaller 40kwh variant available in the R5), giving an official rated maximum of just over 250 miles. That’s not colossal but Renault’s tech manages the battery well, making the estimated range easy to exceed on a warm day with a light touch on the accelerator.

The 5’s verve makes it harder to resist pressing on, although more enthusiastic drivers can go for the mechanically and visually similar Alpine A290. There will also eventually be a supercar-beating 5 Turbo 3E, a limited production with a six-figure price tag.

Each model contains pleasing design touches that don’t ever tip over into kitsch – even the 3D printed vignettes in the centre console. The 5 has a raft of music-equalisation presets shaped by none other than synth wizard Jean-Michel Jarre, while the big ‘5’ logo on the bonnet doubles up as a charge indicator.

The little Renaults are already contemporary classics, plying a rare but rich seam of sales success and critical acclaim. We experienced the slightly more upmarket Roland Garros edition of the 5 (shades of the old Peugeot 205 Lacoste, perhaps), which adds tennis-chic design touches. It comes in Diamond Black as standard, with optional Arctic White, Midnight Blue or Matte Shadow Grey bodywork.

Renault has also announced the Plein Sud variant of the 4, with its roll-back canvas roof reminiscent of the original Renault 4, which in turn appropriated it from the Citroën 2CV. As previously mentioned, the 2CV is coming back, with a concept promised for October’s Paris Motor Show.

According to Citroën CEO, Xavier Chardon, ‘the new 2 CV will re-enchant electric mobility for a new generation through a highly desirable model… [it is] not simply the return of a legendary name. It is the return of a bold and optimistic idea of progress. A profoundly Citroën idea.’

Renault might be getting the attention right now, but the competition is hotting up. In the Stellantis corner you have the Fiat Grande Panda, soon to be joined by its bulked-up Fiat Grizzly sibling, all of which are sold alongside the closely related Jeep Avenger, Vauxhall Frontera and Citroën C3.

In addition to the 2CV, Citroën also originated the ultra-small Ami, the car that forms the basis of Fiat’s delightful Topolino. With news that Mini too is thinking again about the sub-3.6m sector, along with the imminent arrival of the new version of the Smart #2, the small car is most certainly back. This time let’s hope it’s for good.

Renault 5 Roland Garros+, from £26,945, Renault.co.uk

Renault 4, from £23,445, Renault.co.uk