ELECTRIC CAR AWARDS 2025

Looking to buy a fully electric car or a plug-in hybrid? Well, there's now a wide variety to suit all needs and budgets. To help you choose, we've named the year's best options, both new and used

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Renault 5 Comfort Range Techno

EIGHTY-FOUR PER cent. That's the proportion of Renault 5 (R5) buyers who are new to the brand, apparently. It's a very telling figure, because it shows just how squarely Renault has hit the nail on the head with this reborn – now electric – small hatchback.

As with BMW's reinvention of the Mini, that emotional 'I just want one' factor no doubt plays a big part in many buyers' decisions to sign on the dotted line for an R5; how can it not when a car looks as adorable as this?

Still, it's gratifying to find that the R5 isn't just a pretty face; it backs up that perfectly judged modern retro design with plenty of substance.

When specified with our preferred Comfort Range battery (the larger of the two options available) and the more powerful (148bhp) electric motor that goes with it, the R5 delivers nippy performance and a relatively long official range of up to 253 miles. That's farther than the Hyundai Inster Long Range and most other electric rivals promise to take you. Although you're unlikely to be able to travel that far between charges in real-world use, the R5's range will still be generous enough for most buyers' needs.

However long your trip might be, the R5 has a more mature feel than you might expect of a car this size. True, it doesn't stay as flat through corners as a Mini Cooper, but the R5 handles in a secure, confidence-inspiring way and treats occupants to a mostly composed, comfy ride. What's more, its brakes – while not perfect – are a lot less grabby than those of Renault's larger Megane and Scenic and many other electrified models too.