Renault has gone from unloved to exciting in just a few years
Editor Paul Barker marvels at the transformation of Renault, which now boasts an exciting line-up of cars
Momentum is a fascinating thing with car companies. Some just feel like they’re on a roll, while others have periods where they seem to just be drifting, bereft of reasons to get excited about either their current line-up of cars, or what’s coming around the corner.
Renault is a great example of a brand that has flicked from the latter to the former in recent years. Helped massively by the smash-hit styling of the new Renault 5, but with a decent bank of cars supporting it, there’s a bit of a buzz around the firm that not many would have seen coming at the beginning of this decade.
Although the Clio has an enduring appeal and the Captur was a strong, competitive small SUV, back in 2020 there wasn’t a lot else to get excited about. Or even a lot else at all. The Megane was unloved and not yet reinvented as an electric model, and the Zoe was in the later years of its life, if still selling well across Europe. Renault had the air of a brand on the wane.
Five years later, the Clio still has the same enduring appeal and Captur is still a good small SUV, but the Scenic has returned as a great mid-sized electric option, there’s a whole range of hybrid SUVs with funky names – Arkana, Austral, Rafale and Symbioz – as well as the retro revamps of the Renault 5 and Renault 4.
Renault’s head of design Laurens van den Acker recently told journalists that he thinks there are either Renault 5 countries, or Renault 4 countries, with one of the pair appealing more than the other to different markets. South America and Germany, he reckoned, are more Renault 4, whereas the likes of the UK and Spain will relate more to the striking design of the R5 over the former’s practicality and sophistication. But from what I’ve seen, both have the potential to be big hits, especially if the pricing can be kept so competitive.
Speaking of the Renault 5, our video review of the year’s most anticipated new car is now live on the relaunched Auto Express YouTube channel. We’ll be adding at least one new car review a week, giving you our insight and walking you round the most important new models on sale right now, and coming soon. The MINI Aceman is already up alongside the Renault, with plenty more from our expert team on the way. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to make sure you catch them all!
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