Air intakes that create a bump and a hole in the hood of an automobile are groovy if they’re done right, but Renault has reinvented this bit of the hood (or bonnet, if you’re British) for its new all-electric Renault 5 E-Tech hatch.
It has nothing to do with air or intakes; this design element is essentially a graphic panel that will display car’s current state of charge when the vehicle is charging, and light up the same “5” graphic that forms the car’s badge.
The E-Tech, which is confirmed to be revealed in February at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show, harkens back to the French classic 5 that was called Le Car over here and left the U.S. market (along with the entire brand) in the Eighties.
The teasers that the company released last week are mainly design touches that show five doors with “hidden” rear handles in the C-pillars, short overhangs, and a chunky roof spoiler. The unmistakable “5” that lights up the hood when its not charging is sure to be talking point.
Initially, the car will be sold exclusively with a 52-kilowatt-hour battery pack good for 248 miles and no ICE model will be offered. The E-Tech is expected to be priced from about €25,000 ($27,200) overseas. No word yet on power ratings. It’s French, as we mentioned, so don’t expect it to come to the States.
It’s also expected that additional older Renault models — the 4 and the Twingo — will be converted to electric power and arrive in a couple of years.
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Source: www.autoblog.com