better than the Fiat 500e and Mini Cooper E?

The new Renault 5 E-Tech is available to order, but how does the French city car compare to its rivals the Fiat 500e and Mini Cooper E?

During its presentation, the Renault 5 E-Tech has sparked a crush with its “retrofuturistic” look. Already available to order, it will soon be arriving on our roads and will not fail to cross paths with two formidable rivals, also with the sweet scent of “revival”.

The Renault 5 E-Tech faces its two chic and trendy rivals

The two opponents of this new Renault 5 E-Tech are, logically, the Fiat 500 and the latest Mini, which have many things in common with it. In particular, that of making us dive back into the past by evoking their illustrious predecessors: the Nuova 500 from 1957 for the Italian, the Austin Mini from 1959 for the English, the R5 from 1972 for the French. Beyond the name, their design also strongly refers to these ancestors. And these city cars now combine the past with the present – ​​and the future – by adapting to the current trend of 100% electric vehicles.
With these many similarities, how can the Renault 5 E-Tech stand out? First of all, by its look, which immediately won over people when it was unveiled. The silhouette, the proportions, the friendly face, the mischievous “look” and the many “wink” details pay a nice tribute to the original model. But this is also the case for the Mini and the 500. They also attracted a lot of attention when they were released, even if it was a while ago: the first “modern” version of the English car was twenty-three years old and the Italian one seventeen years old.
Of course, they have evolved in the meantime, through new generations and/or restylings, without any aesthetic revolution however. They have nevertheless taken the opportunity to increase their size. The Mini has thus gone from 3.63 m (in 2001) to 3.86 m for the current model, launched this year and renamed Mini Cooper. The Fiat, for its part, has grown by 6 cm (from 3.57 m to 3.63 m) by becoming electric in 2020. In addition to its larger size (3.92 m), the R5 has the advantage of youth and novelty compared to the other two small stars. A new model that makes you want it and which has the advantage – among other things – of being a five-door and a five-seater. A good point for welcoming passengers.

Chic and modern on board

In the passenger compartment, the Renault 5 E-Tech scores points with its colorful trim, its materials that are pleasant to the eye and to the touch, as well as its modern equipment, such as the high-tech panel combining digital counters and a multimedia system. The whole thing is rich and ergonomic.
But the Mini Cooper E is not to be outdone with its completely revised dashboard and equipped with a spectacular circular Oled screen of 24 cm in diameter. We are seduced at first by its originality, but we are a little disillusioned when we realize that this screen also acts as a tachometer and that we will have to go through its multiple menus to access the different functions…
The Fiat 500e, for its part, is marking time a little, and for good reason: released in 2020, it is the “oldest” of the three. With the transition to the electric generation, the interior has gained in perceived quality, but has lost in pep. The dashboard, sober and refined, is dominated by a 10.25″ / 26 cm touch screen, which, it must be admitted, seems almost outdated compared to the other two.
Side habitabilitythe Renault 5 stands out for the ability to accommodate three people (in emergency) on its bench seat, which can be accessed through dedicated doors and where two occupants will travel relatively wide. It offers a height and leg length that are otherwise correct, unlike the Fiat 500e, which is really cramped for adults. In addition, because of their three-door configuration, the English and Italian models require you to contort yourself to access the second row. As for the trunk, that of the French model offers a volume (326 dm3) much greater than that of its rivals.

Different technical choices

Renault has chosen to revive its legendary R5 only in a 100% electric version. This is offered in three power ratings of 95, 120 and 150 hp, and two battery capacities: 40 kWh useful for the first two engines (range of 300 km), 52 kWh for the future 150 hp version, for an announced range of up to 410 km.
The Fiat 500e is almost on par with 95 and 118 hp units, but is a notch below with its 21.3 kWh useful batteries (190 km of autonomy) and 37.3 kWh (300 km). That said, at the start of 2026, it will add a string to its bow by also being available in a mild hybrid thermal version “Ibrida”, its technical base allowing it. An option that some fans of the old R5 would like to benefit from…
For its part, the Mini displays higher power, offering two engines of 184 hp (Cooper E) and 218 hp (Cooper SE), but it does not do better than the French in terms of batteries (37 and 50 kWh useful). Finally, the new Mini Cooper also exists in thermal, with the same aesthetics, but based on the old platform.
The price will surely be the R5’s major asset. For the moment, the only model available to order (150 hp with 52 kWh battery) starts at €33,490. But Renault has announced that the entry-level model (95 hp/40 kWh) will be offered from 25000 € ! A highly competitive price compared to the €30,400 and €34,000 minimums demanded by the Fiat and the Mini respectively. Especially since, manufactured in France, the R5 will benefit from the €4,000 bonus (like the Fiat, produced in Italy).

Which is not the case for the Mini, which is currently only built in China (until 2026)…