In the wake of the electric R5 and 4L, Renault designers could reinvent the R17.
For its future electric range, Renault has specialized step by step in updating old glories in its range.. From 2024, a new Renault 5 will be offered, it will be a 5-door urban sedan that will be, in a way, the alter ego of the Clio. Then a revised and tweaked 4L in SUV mode will come as a boost in 2025.
The first will partially replace the Renault Twingo and especially the Renault Zoé, the pioneer of battery cars in 2012. The second will complete the Captur first before replacing it. The latter covers the spectrum of thermal, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines, but will not offer a 100% electric version, an essential territory that will leave the new 4L.
R17, the idol of the seventies
A neo-retro wave that will allow the nostalgic to afford a little car of yesteryear, it’s the spirit that counts, equipped with the latest technology. But also to create an attachment and at the same time increase the bill as in Mini.
In this move, Renault could also have revived the Estafette in electric mode, Volkswagen did not hesitate with its ID. Buzz that is already spinning its way. And to go even further, it reinvents a contemporary of the original Renault 5, the R17, the sports coupé that was fashionable in the 70s. of versatility.
An R Seventeen to follow the marketing language of 4Ever and other EcoFives. But among generalist manufacturers, coupes are no longer in fashion, the last attempt, the Laguna 3 derivative, did not convince against the premium tenors of the genre. It’s a pity that the comeback of the R17 will not take place. This emblematic model of an era and benefited from a popular image could have its voice, an outdated and relevant discourse.