More details about the wild Renault 5 Turbo 3E have been announced, ahead of the hot electric hatchback coming to Australia in yet-to-be confirmed numbers.
Revealed in December, it’s a modern take on the classic 1980s Renault 5 Turbo, a homologation special of the mass-market hatchback intended to win in the World Rally Championship.
A total of 1980 examples of the modern electric hot hatch will be built globally from 2027, Renault has now confirmed, reflecting the unveiling of the original R5 Turbo at the 1980 Brussels Motor Show.
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Renault Australia is yet to confirm how many will come to Australia and at what price, though it started taking expressions of interest in late December – even if it’s still yet to lock in the regular Renault 5 for local showrooms.
It could become the most expensive Renault ever sold in Australia – potentially usurping the $108,000 Megane R.S. Trophy-R Record Version from 2019 – given its exclusivity and performance credentials.
Unlike most performance variants of electric vehicles (EVs), Renault says the R5 Turbo 3E is built on a completely different platform to the Renault 5 E-Tech, allowing it to use in-wheel electric motors rather than the single front-mounted unit of its lesser sibling.
Renault previously said the 2022 Turbo 3E concept weighed just 980kg with its 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack weighing 520kg, however it now says the production model won’t weigh more than 1450kg. That would make it heavier than the standard electric 5 E-Tech.
Its battery has also expanded in capacity to 70kWh, with Renault targeting a driving range of up to 400km and a DC charging capacity of 350kW.
Powering the R5 Turbo 3E are a pair of electric motors, one housed inside each rear wheel, which Renault claims can produce up to 400kW and 4800Nm – though the latter figure is torque at the wheel, rather than the motor.
The carmaker quotes a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds, on par with the all-wheel drive Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. It will also feature a top speed of 270km/h.
Like the Ioniq 5 N, the 5 Turbo 3E features an 800-volt electrical architecture.
Renault has made the most of putting the 5 Turbo 3E on a bespoke platform, with its dimensions being dramatically different from the 5 E-Tech.
Measuring 4.08m long, 2.03m wide and 1.38m tall, it’s about 16cm longer, 23cm wider and 12cm lower than its sibling, while its wheelbase has also grown by 3cm to 2.57m.
Its more aggressive stance is aided by a more aggressively sloped roof, while the 5 Turbo 3E also does without two of the 5 E-Tech’s doors.
Under the wide wheel-arches sit 20-inch wheels, with the focus clearly on performance over efficiency.
This approach is evident with the grip-focused bodywork, designed to increase downforce rather than make the electric hatchback win a hypermiling competition.
Inside, a pair of racing-style bucket seats complete with six-point harnesses show the EV’s intentions, as does the carbon-fibre trim.
There’s a 10.1-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, while a vertical rally-style handbrake is arguably the greatest indication that this isn’t a regular Renault.
Renault has only shown off the R5 Turbo 3E in its yellow, silver and black livery, but it says the electric hatchback will be available in “a choice of exterior and interior colours”.
These include the gloss and light red Rouge Grenade finish of the original model, as well as some combinations inspired by previous racing liveries such as the factory-backed colours of the 1982 Tour de Corse.
“Alongside Renault designers, they will be able to combine the variants in order to create their own truly unique vehicle,” the company says.
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The original Renault 5 Turbo in Rouge Grenade
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MORE: Renault 5 Turbo 3E electric hot hatch confirmed for Australia
