Renault 5 review - Interior & comfort
“The Renault 5’s interior offers lots of visual interest, and the infotainment is easy to use”
The Renault 5 is just as exciting to behold from the inside as it is from the outside. We love the colourful numbers on the speedometer displayed on a 10-inch driver’s display, which hark back to the pop-art style of the seventies. In fact, there are lots of interesting pops of colour around the cabin which keeps it interesting, as well as many touches that are included as an homage to the original car, such as the H-shaped pattern on the seat upholstery. In some ways it’s incredibly refreshing to sit in an EV with more going on than the raft of incredibly minimalist interiors of late.
We like that there’s a set of physical buttons for features like the air-conditioning and media volume. The Renault 5’s interior isn’t perfect, though – there are some ergonomic foibles such as the sheer amount of stalks on the steering column; four to be exact. These stalks are present on the brand’s other EVs and we can’t help but think it’s overkill – there’s one for the indicators, another for the wipers (as you’d expect), but an extra two stick out on the right side; one for the media controls and another for the gear selector. While it’s good that Renault wanted to free up space in the centre console, we can’t help but feel it makes the steering column rather busy.
Is the Renault 5’s infotainment and navigation system easy to use?
Renault has been on a roll recently in terms of its infotainment systems. The Renault 5 uses Google Android Automotive on Techno and Iconic Five trims, like in the brand’s other models, so the software will be very familiar to anyone with a smartphone, particularly an Android device. Google Maps is pre-installed, while over 50 apps can be downloaded via the PlayStore. Evolution instead gets a simpler system with just Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and does without the Google built-in navigation system.
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The system’s application here in the Renault 5 is similarly brilliant, with simple, well laid-out menus and easy-to-navigate settings. The driver’s display is great to look at, and the layout and designs change depending on the drive mode you’re in. We like the fact that the main information you need access to, such as speed and other data, remain static whichever mode you’re in.
The car’s system also has an AI assistant called Reno – see what they did there? The voice assistant can provide directions to the nearest charging station, provide tips on preserving range among other functions. Unfortunately in practice we found it quite irritating, and would avoid using it at all.
Is the Renault 5 well equipped?
All versions of the Renault 5 will come with a central 10-inch infotainment system and a digital driver’s display. The driver’s display will be seven inches in size on entry-level cars while more expensive models will have a larger 10-inch unit.
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Evolution
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Techno (Evolution plus…)
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Iconic Five (Techno plus…)
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