Review: Renault 5 Turbo 3E

This Euro hot hatch combines power and style in a way that should challenge supercars.

John Mahoney

4 min read

March 20, 2025 - 9:48AM

Motoring

If shock is said to be the art of surprise the all-new Renault 5 Turbo 3E is a masterpiece.

As short as a Honda Jazz and as wide as a Lamborghini Revuelto, the proportions are either comical or breathtaking and nothing short of shocking and ‘hot hatch’ doesn’t come close to doing the new R5 Turbo 3E justice.

Renault prefers to refer to its new creation as a ‘mini supercar’, hinting at the devastating performance it will offer and if that hasn’t raised an eyebrow or two, the bombshells keep on coming.

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E represents a new approach for hot hatches. Picture: Supplied

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Following in the tyre tracks of the glorious mid-engine Renault 5 Turbo and 5 Turbo 2 of the early 80s, plus two generations of Clio V6s that came later, it’s worth pointing out the latest R5 Turbo 3E neither packs a turbocharger or has any relation to the new Renault 5.

Instead, the R5 Turbo 3E is an EV and one that is based on a bespoke all-aluminium spaceframe chassis specially created for the flagship Renault.

Just three things are shared with the humble Renault 5 EV – its windscreen, door handles and rear tail lamps – the rest is bespoke, just like thoroughbred Italian supercar.

It’s also one of the most advanced EVs ever made.

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E represents a new approach for hot hatches. Picture: Supplied

Instead of using off-the-shelf hardware currently employed by the R5 or Megane, the R5 Turbo 3E gets state-of-the-art in-hub motors that drive each of the rear wheels.

Said to be the first production EV to ever be offered with the new tech, the next-gen motors are ultra-lightweight and produce 200kW each (400kW combined) and deliver unprecedented-levels of torque vectoring.

This means the super-R5 will be capable of effortlessly pulling large smoky drifts one moment (there’s also a hydraulic handbrake), while the next, it’s clipping apexes with millimetre precision – like a proper track-honed supercar.

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It’s too early for performance figures, other than reveal the in-hub motor’s rev-limited 270km/h top speed, but engineers suggest it should be able to launch from 0-100km/h in around 3.0 seconds, maybe even quicker, depending on weight.

Featuring a full body made of carbon-fibre, designers say they’re confident that the French two-seater Ferrari-eater will tip the scales at less than 1400kg – which is a featherweight number in the world of EVs.

With little mass to haul around and a modestly-sized ultra-thin 70kWh Nickel-metal hydride battery, Renault is aiming for a range of more than 400km – or two flat-out laps of most tracks you care to name.

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E represents a new approach for hot hatches. Picture: Supplied

Combined with a powerful 800-volt electrical architecture, charging is up to a rate of 350kW with a 15-80 per cent top-up taking less than 15 minutes – well beyond any current Renault model – which is surprising, with the French brand giving everyone involved in the project carte blanche to create the EV of their dreams – including the designers.

Speak to one and they’re still in disbelief that they got to make the Renault 5 Turbo 3E a reality – especially since the earlier concept was made for fun, without any intention to build it.

“We started from scratch twice. A clean sheet of paper. There was nothing to carry over, the first car was just fun”, said chief designer Sandeep Bhambra, admitting that they didn’t even wind test the original concept’s rear wing.

The production car, meanwhile, is deadly serious and features motorsport-derived aerodynamics that include huge front arch extractors, complex underbody air bending, plus an enormous rear diffuser that are all designed to maximise performance on track, pitching the R5 Turbo 3E against the heavier, less powerful Porsche 911 GT3.

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The Renault 5 Turbo 3E represents a new approach for hot hatches. Picture: Supplied

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Now featuring a revised take on the original box arches, the rear intakes were necessary to send jets of cool air to both the rear in-hub motors and in-board brake discs, although one of those Naca-style ducts now neatly conceals a charging port.

Within, the much wider cabin provides more shoulder room compared to the very cramped concept, while ahead of the driver is the same dual screens from the Renault 4 supermini, plus a steering wheel from the A290, that features a rotary dial that can select one of four driving modes that will include a dedicated ‘track’ and ‘rally’ setting.

There’s a launch control, four stages of brake regeneration and a novel drift assist program designed to transform amateurs into a drift monsters.

Future versions will look even wider, says its designer, as his bosses demanded him reinstall the missing big wing. “We don’t need it, but people really miss it, so we have some really cool solutions – it’s going to be wild.”

Originally, the rumour was that Renault would build just 150 Renault 5 Turbo 3Es but now, after the level of excitement expressed for the 2022 concept, that number has been boosted to 1980 – a neat nod to the first year of production for the original R5 Turbo.

The French brand wouldn’t talk money but says keen Australians should be able to reserve a car from later this month ahead of its 2027 arrival Down Under.

Given its exotic looks, performance and advanced tech we’d be surprised if Renault didn’t charge more than $200,000 R5 Turbo 3E when it lands here.

Perhaps the wild new French EV has just one more shock in store for us.