Introduced in 2021, the electric, retro-inspired Renault 5 Concept is set to yield a production model in 2024. Development work is underway, and the French company has released details about a platform it has developed jointly with sister company Nissan to underpin the hatchback.
Called the CMF-B EV, the architecture evolved from the CMF-B platform currently found in several production models, including the best-selling Clio in Europe and the second-generation Juke sold overseas. Thing. market. Keeping costs down was one of the design team’s main priorities, so about 70% of the components are shared between his two platforms. This should make the CMF-B EV platform about 30% cheaper to build than the architecture that currently underpins the electric Zoe hatchback.
Renault emphasizes that the platform is modular. Wheelbase and tread are among the parameters that can be changed, so Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi can build several different body styles on it. Designed with a multi-link rear axle, a rare configuration for this segment of the European market, Renault is working to develop a more compact electric motor.
It’s too early to provide technical specs, so we’ll have to be patient to confirm the 5’s horsepower and range. As for the design, no major changes are planned. Renault is very likely to tone down the more futuristic styling cues that characterize the 5 Concept, including the headlights, but overall proportions and references to past models carry over without a major update. It should be possible.
Renault built the first nine prototypes and engineers began testing them around the world. This is common in the automotive industry. Cold-weather testing has taken place at his Arvidsjaur, south of Sweden’s Arctic Circle, while other tests have taken place at his private test track, far from prying eyes. Development work will continue over the next few months, with a production version of 5 expected to debut in his 2024. There is nothing to suggest the hatchback will be sold in the US. Renault exited the market in his 1987, but it’s not too much of a stretch to speculate that the CMF-B EV platform could underpin his late-2020s Nissan models.
